Wait, the Columbia Pictures logo was made during a lunch break?

Photographs taken for the Columbia Pictures logo
(Image credit: Kathy Anderson)

It's one of the most famous logos in film, having opened hundreds of movies. But have you ever wondered, who is the woman in the Columbia Pictures logo? It turns out the woman who posed for the image isn't a model or actress. The face of one of the world's biggest film companies was a graphic designer on her lunch break.

In a post on Instagram, the photographer Kathy Anderson revealed some of the story of how she shot the reference images for the current version of the Columbia Pictures logo, which remains in use after more than 25 years despite perhaps breaking some of the usual rules to how to design a logo with its relatively complex, lifelike details.

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Joseph Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news and features, updates buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment for creatives, from monitors to accessories and office supplies. A writer and translator, he also works as a project manager at London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives, where he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing photography, video content, graphic design and collaterals for the hospitality sector. He enjoys photography, particularly nature photography, wellness and he dances Argentine tango.