50 Years Of The Peace Symbol

A protestor wears the CND symbol on his sunglasses during a 'Ban the Bomb' march from the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment in Aldermaston to Trafalgar Square, 18th April 1960. Photograph: John Franks/Hulton Archive.

The designer behind the CND sign would be spinning in his grave - now half a century old, it is more often seen on catwalk models than protest marchers.

The British artist Gerald Holtom, creator of the CND sign, penned a solemn note to Hugh Brock, editor of Peace News, before its first public outing on a London peace march in 1958. "I was in despair," he wrote, explaining how the symbol came about. "Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it."

Read the entire Clare Coulson piece over at 50 Years Of The Peace Symbol.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to David Gianatasio at The Guardian UK.