Signs of the Times: Correction(s)

Written by Dr. Sue Perks

In conjunction with the exhibition Give Me a Sign: The Language of Symbols, designer and researcher Sue Perks offers an expansive look into the Henry Dreyfuss Archive held at Cooper Hewitt. The archive contains detailed documentation on Dreyfuss’s Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols, which serves as the basis for the exhibition.

After meeting McGraw-Hill’s rigorous print deadline, the first edition of the Symbol Sourcebook was published on January 11, 1972. The book’s success warranted a second print run in May 1972 (with a third planned for November 1972). Dreyfuss, Clifton, and the Sourcebook team had been meticulous in their research, but nevertheless, in a letter addressed to McGraw-Hill on March 16, 1972, the eagle-eyed Dr. Robert M. Latimer of the Safety Services Department of University of California spotted an “inconsistency” (Fig. 1). He refers to the Ionizing Rays/Radiation Warning symbol on page 140 of the “Safety” discipline section, which, in the first printing of the Symbol Sourcebook, is drawn with the single blade pointing up (Fig. 2). Latimer argues that the single blade should point down and supplies a photocopied page of an occupational safety textbook showing the Standard Radiation Symbol in this position (Fig. 3). Dreyfuss very thoroughly justified why the symbol was depicted like this but is embarrassed by the “error” and changed it in the second printing. He stated, “Although the error in the book embarrasses me personally, we did realize that in illustrating approximately 3,000 symbols there might well be some error which we did not catch. Perhaps I should be pleased that this is the first such error which has come to our attention—and I only hope it may prove to be the last.” Such was Dreyfuss’s attention to detail that he brought this orientation problem to the attention of ISO (International Standards Organisation), ANSI (American National Standards Institute), and DNA (affiliate of ISO in Germany) demonstrating how seriously he took the accuracy of his symbol research. This new inquiry also highlights the lack of international standardization in how some symbols are depicted, which was “a gross error” as far as Dreyfuss was concerned. In the second edition (and subsequent paperback version published in 1984), the blade is correctly shown pointing down.

Combined image of two pieces of paper. At left, a letter with printed text, hand-written notes, and three stamped dates. “University of California” is centered at the top of the page. The printed text begins with “Subject: Symbol Sourcebook,” followed by the first line that states, “We would like to call attention to an inconsistency in the use of a symbol in the above book by Henry Dreyfuss.” The message concludes with “Copies of the three examples are enclosed. At right, a page from a textbook with the title “Rules and Regulations” centered at the top. Several paragraphs of text, number charts, and diagrams fill the page. The largest diagram, towards the bottom, depicts the “Standard Radiation Symbol.” The three smaller diagrams are for the “Danger Sign,” “Caution Sign,” and “Radiation Warning Sign.” Centered at the bottom of the page is the date “Saturday, May 29, 1971.” Hand-written notes are at the top and bottom of the page.

Fig. 1 (left): Letter, Dr. Robert M Latimer to McGraw-Hill, March 16, 1972; Henry Dreyfuss Archive; Fig. 3 (right): Photocopy from Occupational Safety and Health Standards textbook, 1910; Henry Dreyfuss Archive

Page “140” from a book with the title “Safety” at the top left. It features a table chart that fills the whole page, divided into 33 cells. The cells hold black-and-white warning symbols. The first six symbols are for “Safety Alert,” “First Aid,” “No Entry,” “No Entry to Pedestrians,” “Emergency Exit,” and “Fire Alarm.”

Fig. 2: “Safety” discipline section showing Radiation symbol, Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols; Henry Dreyfuss Archive

Image of two black-and-white symbols separated by the word “Or.” Below the symbols, towards the left, reads “Ionizing Rays (Radiation Warning).” The symbol on the left comprises a black circle surrounded by three rounded trapezoids, equidistant from each other. The symbol on the right is the same but smaller and enclosed by a large triangle.

The Ionizing Rays/Radiation Warning symbol, Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols; Henry Dreyfuss Archive

As an aside, in the “Medical” discipline section, within the “Radiation” subsection on page 115, the radiation symbol is shown with the blade pointing down correctly in both editions (Fig. 4).

Page “115” from a book, featuring a table chart that fills the whole page, divided into 37 cells. The cells hold black-and-white symbols, most of which are encircled. The first six symbols are for “Flex Table Adjustment,” “Electro-Medical,” “On,” “Off,” “Automatic,” and “Manual.”

Fig. 4: “Medical” discipline section, within the “Radiation” subsection, showing Radiation symbol, Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols; Henry Dreyfuss Archive

Ionizing Rays/Radiation Warning and Radioactive symbols, Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols; Henry Dreyfuss Archive

The only other evidence of Dreyfuss actually seeking advice about any possible amendments needed for the second edition can be seen in a letter written to Dreyfuss by Pam Holaday, who had drawn the majority of symbols in the book. She finished working with the Symbol Sourcebook team when the book went to print in December 1971, but Dreyfuss kept in friendly contact with her and asked if she had spotted any corrections and spelling errors in the first edition of the book. In reply, Pam would have been the perfect person to spot any errors due her attention to detail and knowledge of the overall project. She carefully reviewed the book and found no misspelled words. Dreyfuss joked in an earlier letter to her that he hoped the “Mistakes” folder didn’t get too fat.

Dr. Sue Perks is a designer, archival researcher, and writer on Isotype, museum design, and Henry Dreyfuss’s work with symbols. She was awarded a PhD from University of Reading in 2013. She regularly presents at international design conferences and co-founded The Symbol Group in 2022.

The exhibition Give Me a Sign: The Language of Symbols is on display at Cooper Hewitt through September 2, 2024.