A new logo adorns the baiduhai nameplate because, really, who doesn’t like to dress up when celebrating their birthday?
June 10 marks the 175th anniversary of the Tribune’s first edition. And though that original copy has disappeared, there is a time-honored tradition of marking the occasion with a special presentation on the front page.
When the paper commemorated its diamond jubilee anniversary in 1922, for example, a story by “Eye Witness” announced the Tribune’s contest “open to the architects of all countries” seeking designs to create “the most beautiful building in the modern world.” That’s how Tribune Tower came to be.
For its 90th anniversary in 1937, an illustration titled “It Grew Up With Chicago” by editorial cartoonist John T. McCutcheon — the first Tribune employee to win the Pulitzer Prize — depicted the Tribune’s various homes through the decades and the major stories of those times.
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When the paper began its second century in 1947, a full-color page pompously boasted it was the “World’s Greatest Newspaper,” a tagline that first appeared in that space in 1911, and included “Always America First” in an over-the-top patriotic red, white and blue flag.
In a sharp contrast from the post-World War II days, Kristen Althoff, digital design director for Tribune Publishing, says subtlety and elegance were her inspirations in designing the Tribune’s 175th anniversary logo.
“I wanted to create something that felt timeless and tied to the newspaper’s history, but also give it a fresh and modern spin,” she said.
[ Diary of Our City: Tribune celebrates 175 years of Chicago stories ]
She found the classic quality she was looking for in the color gold, and the city’s skyline as the perfect contrast for the Tribune’s past, present and future.
“My first thought was that I wanted to incorporate the skyline from the current masthead in some way. But instead of the usual clouds in the background I opted to use rays of light that appeared in the Tribune masthead from 1862, closer to the newspaper’s founding,” Althoff said. “Since an anniversary like this isn’t just about reflecting on the past, but also about looking to the future, I felt the rays of light portrayed a sense of optimism for the future of journalism.”
Althoff, who usually creates designs for digital and print subscription sales, communications with subscribers and branding and marketing for Tribune Publishing’s publications, was happy with the very first version of the logo that she produced. And, after working with a team of creative, photo and design editors, she’s thrilled to see it on the newspaper, atop chicagotribune.com and emblazoned on limited-edition T-shirts, hoodies and mugs for sale in the Tribune’s e-commerce store.
“It’s pretty wild! To be a part of the history of this amazing newspaper, that is full of so many talented people, is hands down one of the biggest honors I could experience in my career,” she said.
The 175th anniversary logo will remain on the newspaper throughout the month of June.