Maritime Telegraph and Telephone Company (MT&T, later MTT) was the primary telephone and telegraph provider for Nova Scotia, incorporated in Halifax on 22 April 1910 to consolidate telephone and telegraph services across the Maritimes. The company operated under the MT&T name until 1998, when it merged with Island Telecom, NBTel and NewTel Communications to form Aliant, which later became Bell Aliant.[1]
Design and History
In 1966, the company commissioned a new logo from Canadian identity designer Hans Kleefeld, who was then working at the Toronto firm Stewart & Morrison Ltd.[2] Kleefeld had joined Stewart & Morrison in the early 1960s, a period his obituary describes as the “glory days” of graphic design, during which he produced logos for Air Canada, Air Jamaica, Bank of Montreal, Inco, TD Bank and Tim Hortons.[3]
The 1966 Maritime Telegraph Telephone Co. logo appears in Kleefeld’s documented portfolio of identity work from that year, alongside his Bank of Montreal mark.[2] The company later adopted the shorter MTT branding, which remained visible on Nova Scotia payphones for years after the merger.[4]
An earlier company logo is documented in a July 1961 photograph of a Maritime Telegraph and Telephone Company float in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, held in the Dalhousie University archives.[5] The 1966 Kleefeld mark therefore represents a mid-decade refresh of the company’s visual identity rather than its first logo.
Meaning and Symbolism
No primary source documenting the intended symbolism or design rationale for the 1966 Maritime Telegraph Telephone logo has been located. The mark is listed in Kleefeld’s portfolio without accompanying commentary on its meaning.[2] Any interpretation of the geometric form as a signal or transmission line remains speculative.
Typography and Design
Kleefeld trained as a compositor in Berlin before immigrating to Canada in 1952, and he brought knowledge of German design and typography to his work at Stewart & Morrison.[6] His documented corporate marks from this period, including the Air Canada rondelle and the Metro Toronto Zoo logo, are characterized by economical, precise construction.[7][8] Specific typographic or color specifications for the Maritime Telegraph Telephone mark have not been documented in available sources.
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