Loewy is noted for his connection to railroads, and especially the Pennsylvania Railroad. His first major railroad design was also his most famous: the 1935 restyling of PRR’s GG1 electric locomotive with a welded carbody and elegant “cat’s whiskers” paint scheme. Other PRR jobs followed, including streamlining for the K4s 4-6-2, S1 6-4-4-6, and T1 4-4-4-4 steam engines; passenger train interiors and exteriors; and passenger depots. Loewy was the guest of honor at the May 15, 1977, dedication ceremony for Amtrak GG1 4935, which, after years in solid black, had been restored to the classic livery he’d designed 32 years earlier.
Loewy also worked for other railroads, designing an updated Roanoke, Va., station for the Norfolk & Western, Long Island Rail Road double-deck coaches, the Monon’s logo, and the Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited. In addition, his firm did design work for Baldwin and Fairbanks-Morse diesel locomotives.
Beyond railroading, Loewy’s firm produced designs ranging from consumer products to corporate logos to the livery for Air Force One. He died in France in 1986.
Google Doodles are designs, often interactive, at the top of the company’s main search page. They are frequently tied to important events and anniversaries.
To see previous Google Doodles, go to www.google.com/doodles.
