Don Birrell Explained

Don R. Birrell (1922–2006) was director of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, from 1951 to 1953, and was the design director for the Nut Tree in Vacaville, California, from 1953[1] until his retirement in 1990.[2] In addition to his design work at the Nut Tree, Birrell also created the Vacaville city logo,[3] the logo for the Vacaville Reporter newspaper,[4] and the artwork seen on the side of Raley's Supermarkets trucks.[4] Birrell was also a painter of landscape watercolors.[5] His house[6] [7] [8] on Kendal Street in Vacaville was famously filled with examples of his design work for the Nut Tree.

Early life and education

Don Birrell was born December 6, 1922, in Corona, California. He grew up in Sacramento, California, and attended Sacramento City College.

Director of the Crocker Art Museum

Birrell served as the director of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento from 1951 to 1953.[9] In 1951, he organized an exhibition of the work of artist Martín Ramírez at the Crocker Art Museum.[10] In 1952, the drawing "Madonna in Landscape with Cars" by Ramírez was received by Charles Eames and Ray Eames in a letter from Don Birrell.[11] [12] [13] [14]

Design director for the Nut Tree

In 1953,[15] Birrell became design director for the Nut Tree restaurant in Vacaville, where he remained until his retirement in 1990. The Nut Tree had its own design department headed by him.[16] In 1960, Birrell mounted an exhibition of paintings by Wayne Thiebaud that were inspired by Thiebaud's travels to Mexico.[17]

Graphic design style: The Nut Tree look

Birrell's graphic design style can be characterized as minimalist, colorful, and highly abstracted. He is credited with creating the Nut Tree's "look", from graphic design to food presentations to menu design.[18] [19] [20]

Birrell was admired and was influenced by a number of artists and designers, notably: Charles and Ray Eames, Maynard Dixon, Rockwell Kent, Grant Wood, Saul Bass, Herbert Bayer, Alexander Calder, Cassandre, William Moore, Piet Mondrian, Alexander Girard, László Moholy-Nagy, Thomas Moran, George Nelson, Paul Rand, and Charles Sheeler.

The Vacaville Museum exhibited a retrospective of Birrell's work, Don Birrell by Design in 2003.[21]

Later life and death

Birrell died on June 30, 2006. Following his death, the July 5, 2006, meeting of the Solano County Board of Supervisors adjourned in his memory.[22]

Logos designed by Don Birrell

Logo Date Image Description
Nut Tree Logo (New)[23] 1987
Coffee Tree Restaurant Logo[24] 1964
Vacaville, California City Logo 1989
Vacaville Reporter Logo 1962
Vacaville Fiesta Days Logo 1963
Raley's Supermarkets trucks Unknown
Vacaville/Dixon Greenbelt Logo[25] [26] [27] Unknown
Hearn Construction Logo[28] Unknown
Vacaville Performing Arts Theater Logo 1998

Artwork by Don Birrell

Title Date Medium Description
Early Sacramento Gothic 3rd and T St[29] 1946 Graphite
Old Ships Never Die 1964 Liquitex
Mendocino Light 1983 Watercolor with ink line
Cordelia Skyline 1985 Watercolor
Pololu Overlook, Kohala 1996 Watercolor
A Taste of Hawaii 1998 Watercolor
Shiprock 1998 Watercolor
Modern Landscape (Title Unknown)[30] 1998 Watercolor
Renaissance Vineyard & Winery[31] 2001 Watercolor
Buck Avenue Fantasy[32] Unknown Watercolor
Old Rocky Unknown Watercolor
VacaValley[33] Unknown Watercolor
Bodega Bay[34] Unknown Watercolor

Other designs by Don Birrell

Item Date Medium Description
Nut Tree Freeway Sign[35] [36] [37] 1964 Concrete and Glass Three-part freeway sign
Nut Tree Restaurant Receipt[38] Unknown Miscellaneous graphics on restaurant receipt
Coffee Tree Restaurant Menu[39] Unknown Restaurant menu
Nut Tree Play Wall[40] Unknown Unknown Children's play wall with animal characters
Nut Tree Hobby Horse Plans[41] Unknown Unknown
Vacaville Christmas Tree Star[42] [43] 1983 Stainless Steel Collaboration with craftsman Lee Kollorz
Nut Tree Restaurant Dinner Menu[44] 1979 Unknown Restaurant menu
Nut Tree Restaurant Menu[45] 1960s Unknown Restaurant menu
Nut Tree Dinner Menu[46] 1968 Unknown Restaurant menu
Vacaville Area General Plan[47] [48] 1957 Unknown Brochure
Nut Tree Restaurant Aviary[49] Unknown Unknown Glass aviary for exotic birds

Notes and References

  1. Web site: I'm Nuts Over the Nut Tree . Modern Kiddo. 29 June 2011 .
  2. Web site: Don R. Birrell – Obituary . Legacy.com. 29 June 2011.
  3. Web site: Birrell"s life, art celebrated. 13 July 2006.
  4. Web site: Don's delicate template of life. 29 March 2022 .
  5. Web site: DonBirrell – Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. www.sacmetroarts.org.
  6. Web site: Fazzare . Anthony . A Cat Video . YouTube.
  7. Web site: Urbani . Raquel . Part 2: Remembering Al . Dreyfuss + Blackford . 6 February 2018.
  8. Web site: Dinner for Eight Plus More: A fundraiser for the Vacaville Museum . City of Vacaville . 3 December 2014.
  9. Web site: Nut Tree, Nut Tree Parkway, Vacaville, Solano County, CA . Library of Congress .
  10. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: DeWitt General Hospital (Draft) . California State Parks, Office of Historical Preservation . 25 October 2015 . 21 August 2015.
  11. Web site: Madonna in landscape with cars . Library of Congress.
  12. Book: Espinosa . Víctor M. . Martín Ramírez: Framing His Life and Art . 2015 . University of Texas Press . 148 . 1st . 9781477307755 .
  13. Web site: Allen . Erin . Uncovering a Treasure . Library of Congress . 13 December 2013.
  14. Web site: Library to Unveil Madonna Drawing By 20th-Century Outsider Artist Martín Ramírez on Dec. 12 . Library of Congress . 9 December 2013.
  15. Web site: Goerke-Shrode . Sabine . How the Nut Tree grew to be a landmark . www.solanohistory.org . 10 September 2006.
  16. Web site: McManis . Sam . Nut Tree Nostalgia / A premier roadside attraction may be headed for a rebirth . SF Gate . 25 February 2000.
  17. Book: Teagle . Rachel . Wayne Thiebaud: 1958–1968 . The University of California Press . 72 . 9780520294462 . 2018-01-16 .
  18. Web site: Bammer . Richard . Birrell's life, art celebrated . The Reporter . 13 July 2006.
  19. Web site: Bowen . Jerry . Harbison House saw the Nut Tree flourish . www.solahohistory.org . 27 March 2004.
  20. Web site: Historic American Landscapes Survey – Nut Tree . Library of Congress .
  21. Web site: Minutes For January 28, 2003 . Solano County . 25 October 2018 . 28 January 2003.
  22. Web site: Board of Supervisors Meeting – July 25, 2006 – Minutes . 25 October 2018 . 25 July 2006.
  23. Web site: Nut Tree Logo . Squarepace.
  24. Web site: The COFFEE TREE Restaurant – Matchbook Cover – Vacaville, Calif.. 2017-02-21.
  25. Web site: Vacaville/Dixon Greenbelt Logo . www.archerficklin.com . JPG.
  26. Web site: Don R. Birrell – Obituary . Legacy.com.
  27. Web site: Walker . Kerry . Approval for Relocation of the Artwork Entitled "Vacaville/Dixon Greenbelt" to the Harbison Event Center . PDF . 24 October 2017.
  28. Web site: Hearn Construction Celebrates 30 Years Doing business in Vacaville, CA . Solano County Business News . 25 October 2018 . Blog . 13 March 2008.
  29. Web site: Early Sacramento Gothic 3rd and T St by Don Birrell . Sacramento City College . 29 January 2016.
  30. Web site: Framed Modern Landscape Drawing . Chairish.
  31. Web site: Renaissance Vineyard & Winery, 2001. 13 March 2018.
  32. Web site: Art from the Heart – Wellspring. wellspring.northbay.org.
  33. Web site: Vacaville California "VacaValley" Art Print by Don Birrell, Nut Tree Designer . WorthPoint.
  34. Web site: DON BIRRELL – BODEGA BAY 27/150 . WorthPoint . 5 February 2019.
  35. News: Miller . Robin . Iconic Nut Tree sign comes down in Vacaville . East Bay Times . 20 March 2015.
  36. News: McCarthy . Ryan . A sign of the times is history in Vacaville . Daily Republic . 19 March 2015.
  37. News: Shanahan . Dennis . Last Remaining Nut Tree Sign Dismantled, Preserved . Fox 40 . 19 March 2015.
  38. Web site: Adams . Sean . The Tree of Life . Burning Settlers Cabin . 22 September 2015.
  39. Web site: Coffee Tree Menu . pinimg.com.
  40. Web site: Nut Tree Play Wall . Photobucket.
  41. Web site: Hobby Horse Plans . Photobucket.
  42. News: Murphy . Melissa . New Merriment on Main star, fundraiser helps fund Vacaville's annual tree lighting . The Reporter . 28 August 2018.
  43. Web site: Rico . Richard . Richard Rico: Raise flags to the stars . The Reporter . 8 November 2018 . 7 October 2018.
  44. Web site: Nut Tree Restaurant Dinner Menu . Worthpoint.
  45. Web site: 1960s Nut Tree Menu, Vacaville, CA . Vintage Supper. December 2016 .
  46. Web site: Nut Tree Restaurant 1968 Menu Vacaville CA California . Worthpoint.
  47. Book: Vacaville Area General Plan 1957 . www.solanohistory.org . 1957.
  48. Book: Vacaville Area General Plan 1957 . www.solanohistory.org . Online Document Reader . 1957.
  49. News: McManis . Sam . Nut Tree Nostalgia / A premier roadside attraction may be headed for a rebirth . SF Gate . 25 February 2000.

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