Don Birrell
# Don Birrell

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 until his retirement in 1990. In addition to his design work at the Nut Tree, Birrell also created the Vacaville city logo, the logo for the Vacaville Reporter newspaper, and the artwork seen on the side of Raley's Supermarkets trucks. Birrell was also a painter of landscape watercolors. His house 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. In 1951, he organized an exhibition of the work of artist Martín Ramírez at the Crocker Art Museum. 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.

## Design director for the Nut Tree

In 1953, 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. In 1960, Birrell mounted an exhibition of paintings by Wayne Thiebaud that were inspired by Thiebaud's travels to Mexico.

## 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.

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.

## 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.

## Logos designed by Don Birrell

| Logo | Date |
| - | - |
| Nut Tree Logo (New) | 1987 |
| Coffee Tree Restaurant Logo | 1964 |
| Vacaville, California City Logo | 1989 |
| Vacaville Reporter Logo | 1962 |
| Vacaville Fiesta Days Logo | 1963 |
| Raley's Supermarkets trucks | Unknown |
| Vacaville/Dixon Greenbelt Logo | Unknown |
| Hearn Construction Logo | Unknown |
| Vacaville Performing Arts Theater Logo | 1998 |

## Artwork by Don Birrell

| Title | Date | Medium |
| - | - | - |
| Early Sacramento Gothic 3rd and T St | 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) | 1998 | Watercolor |
| Renaissance Vineyard & Winery | 2001 | Watercolor |
| Buck Avenue Fantasy | Unknown | Watercolor |
| Old Rocky | Unknown | Watercolor |
| VacaValley | Unknown | Watercolor |
| Bodega Bay | Unknown | Watercolor |

## Other designs by Don Birrell

| Item | Date | Medium | Description |
| - | - | - | - |
| Nut Tree Freeway Sign | 1964 | Concrete and Glass | Three-part freeway sign |
| Nut Tree Restaurant Receipt | Unknown | | Miscellaneous graphics on restaurant receipt |
| Coffee Tree Restaurant Menu | Unknown | | Restaurant menu |
| Nut Tree Play Wall | Unknown | Unknown | Children's play wall with animal characters |
| Nut Tree Hobby Horse Plans | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Vacaville Christmas Tree Star | 1983 | Stainless Steel | Collaboration with craftsman Lee Kollorz |
| Nut Tree Restaurant Dinner Menu | 1979 | Unknown | Restaurant menu |
| Nut Tree Restaurant Menu | 1960s | Unknown | Restaurant menu |
| Nut Tree Dinner Menu | 1968 | Unknown | Restaurant menu |
| Vacaville Area General Plan | 1957 | Unknown | Brochure |
| Nut Tree Restaurant Aviary | Unknown | Unknown | Glass aviary for exotic birds |
