John Tenley Branding Project

Page 1



TABLE OF CONTENTS About John Tenley................................................................................................ 4 About the Logo.................................................................................................... 6 Type Studies......................................................................................................... 7 Products................................................................................................................ 8 Specs................................................................................................................... 11


ABOUT JOHN TENLEY

John Tenley ran a tavern at the crossroads that became the Tenleytown

neighborhood of Washington, DC. Records and licenses for liquor and tobacco from the time show the dates as 1788 to 1791. Tavern rates at the time show

that beer, cider, wines, rum, and gin were available, as well as hot and cold food. Lodging included clean sheets, and there were stables with hay for horses.

The Tenley tavern was probably a small wooden building, similar to the tavern in the photo below. The first floor would have included a large public eating room with a fireplace and a kitchen with a cooking fireplace. The second floor would

have included one or two simple bedrooms. There were not many guests in those days of rough travel but guests may have had to share a bed if the tavern was

crowded. The tavern was most likely the first business above Georgetown where food and liquor could be bought. Men would have gathered here to talk with

4

travelers and each other and drink and smoke.

John Tenley’s tavern was likely very similar to this one, Willetts’ Spinning Wheel Tavern, as seen in this photo from 1915.


The intersection came to be called Tenleytown as early as 1786, according to

church records of the day. The tavern was well known, as indicated by references to “Tenley’s Tavern” in deeds and newspaper notices during the 1790s.

Just like the tavern was simple and plain, John Tenley wasn not well to do and

was even poor. He leased the land where his tavern and house stood. In January 1799, Tenley published a notice in the Georgetown paper saying “I intend to to petition the next General Assembly of Maryland to discharge me from debts

due the State which I am unable to pay.” He had passed awy by the time of the 1800 census.

1789-1790 Events n Georgetown University was founded. n George Washington was chosen first US President. n First Congress decalred Constitution in effect. n French Revolution began with the fall of the Bastille. n North Carolina and Rhode Island became the 12th and 13th US states. n US Congress established the District of Columbia.

Later residents of Tenleytown reported that Mr. Tenley was English by birth and was a blacksmith by trade. He was never married. He died suddenly at a public ball given in town. Among his possessions after his death were and old clothes

brush and a small leather box. Neighborhood gossip said that he was quiet and

5

retiring but “not averse to participating in an occasional frolic.”

Two things guided me in creating his logo: tavern and blacksmith.

The mood board that started it all. Maybe too many photos but I got a lot from the type samples, tavern photos, Roger Federer mark, and especially the swirls around that letter P and in the blue wallpaper.


ABOUT THE LOGO

I started with many indeas for this logo, focusing on the simple tavern, including the building, house, coaches, horses, dogs, beer steins, glasses, and pitchers. Then I moved to thinking about him being a blacksmith, and thought of anvils and hammers and tongs and other tools of the trade. None of these seemed quite right. Then I though of how as a blacksmith, he could have made a sign for himself, to advertise his tavern and show off his blacksmith skills.

He would have seen the Caslon type, which was widely used if not the only

typeface available in the area at that time. Caslon was used for the Declaration of Independence. I pictured him seeing his name in type and using his tools to

make the letters of his name in wrought iron. He could have used the glyphs or dingbats included in the typeface, which reminded me of the curlicues seen in

wrought iron signs, to add some decoration. What would be more appropriate than the dingbat of the pineapple, a symbol used in the colonial US for

6

hospitality.

Dark gray, almost but not quite black, was the best color, as wrought iron is made from charcoal and is more gray than black. A masculine dark green was the most appropriate color to use for the color version. I pictured Tenley painting the wrought iron pure black or dark green to dress it up.

The pineapple and flower items are dingbats in the typeface Adobe Caslon Pro. The pineapple represents welcome and hospitality.


I studied the typefaces of Baskerville, Bodoni, Caslon, and Didot, all from the 1700s, in the process of designing the John Tenley logo. Caslon was likely the only typeface used in the colonial US at the time.

7


I chose masculine items associated with a tavern, succh as old fashioned glasses and a wooden cigar box, for displaying the logo. The logo is etched on the glasses and is laser engraved on the wooden box.

8


A deck of cards and a canvas satchel bear the logo.,

9


A leather book foil stamped with the logo and classic linen paper with the logo in basic black.

10


From top: Logo in black at 4.5 inches wide and 1 inch wide and logo in green at 4.5 inches wide and 1 inch wide. Black Logo: C: 100 R: 51 M: 0 G: 51 Y: 47 B: 51 K: 59

11

Green Logo: C: 0 R: 0 M: 0 G: 104 Y: 0 B: 55 K: 80


12


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.