For my PhD investigation (University of Utrecht), of corporate identities/signage/
pictograms in The Netherlands between 1960-1995, I‘m trying to find the archive of
James Pilditch.
James Pilditch was the leader of the designgroup Allied Industrial Designer, later
AIDCOM wich was one of the first big designfirms in Brittain (comp. in scope with
Loewy). Late seventies his firm employed 600 people in several countries, also his
firm was the first designfirm to go public.
In 1965 he did the corporate identity of Albert Heijn. The biggest supermarket chain
in Holland. This was one of the firste major identities in Holland after KLM (Henrion
Ass.) and PAM (Total Design). Allied Industrial Designers became one of the majar
players on the Dutch market (beginning of the seventies).
Now I‘, trying to find information or former employees of AID to get a better picture of
AID‘s contribution to the Dutch design scene.
I already know that AIDCOM was taken over by Addison in London beginning of the
eighties, however in the proces people and information seems to have been lost so
they know nothing about archives and stuff.
Also the known designinstitutions I contacted dont seem to know anything about
Pilditch and AID (University of Brighton, Design Council, Design Museum etc.)
Pilditch died in 1995. His obituary in The Times says he was the first chairman of the
London Institute, Treasurer of the RCA and he was on the board of the Design
Council, the Royal Society of Arts and the Heritage of London Group.
I hope that there are people who can direct me to archives/information/employees of
AID. I hope especially that somebody can point me to the family of James Pilditch
since they seem to be the most likely candidate of having info/archive of James
Pilditch.
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