Search Results

Creator:

Colonna, Farrell: Design.  Search this

Fleckner, John A., 1941-  Search this

Farrell, John, 1944-  Search this

Crew, Spencer R., 1949-  Search this

Colonna, Ralph, 1937-  Search this

Extent:

2.1 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Packaging

Oral history

Labels

Design drawings

Audiocassettes

Date:

1975-1997

Summary:

Original artwork and final prints of wine labels, files on work for other clients, plus audio tapes of an interview of Farrell.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of eight series, the largest, Series I, being the wine labels. This series is arranged alphabetically by the name of the producer and each winery is in a separate folder. At times the name of the wine is different than the name of the producer and sometimes the winery produces wines under more than one name. If there is more than one name or if the name of the wine is different than the name of the producer, these other names are listed in parentheses following the name of the winery. Often the name of the winery changes, usually in minor way such as changing the designation from cellars or winery to vineyards or some combination of these terms. To the extent possible, the latest name is used. All wines produced by each winery are in the same folder. The labels consist of various preliminary drawings, more refined drawings and presentations, mounted presentations and printed labels and loose printed labels. Some or all of these types may be available for each winery. In some cases there is no indication whether or not Colonna, Farrell received the commission to create the final designs, as the only way we have of knowing that is if the final printed label is in the collection.

Series II consists of designs for various presentations to The Monterey Vineyard. The first folder contains drawings and some design mockups. The remaining four folders of the series each contains a special presentation of mounted designs. Series III is a set of handmade containers containing designs created by the firm. These special cases were carried by John Farrell and Ralph Colonna when they visited wineries to make a presentation in an attempt to obtain new business.

Series IV consists of one folder containing ideas for labels that cannot be attributed to any particular winery and older labels that were collected for inspiration. Series V is a folder containing work for clients not in the wine business. Series VI contains company information such as letterhead, a brochure and an article. Series VII is miscellaneous material and Series VIII is an interview of John Farrell conducted by John Fleckner and Spencer Crew of the National Museum of American History on April 17, 1997. There are two sets of tapes, an original and a duplicate, and only the duplicate is to be used by researchers.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into eight series.

Biography:

John Farrell was born on Long Island, New York in 1944 and grew up in Minneapolis/St. Paul where his family had moved in early 1945. He had an early interest in art and design and started doing commercial design work while still in high school and continued to support himself as a designer in college. He attended the University of Minnesota. from 1962 through 1964 when he transferred to California State University-Hayward, from which he graduated after majoring in Art/Design. After college he moved to Denver to take a design position and then, in 1971, started a business there. In 1972 he did graduate work in design at Denver University, but did not receive a degree. Mr. Farrell wanted to return to California and in 1974 he followed his dream, settling in the Napa Valley.

Mr. Farrell started working out of his home, visiting local printers to find out who was working with them. When the printers told him "the wineries" he started talking to wine people. He said that he found a real need in Napa to put together packaging and help what were then local farming people with small businesses. Because of his skills, he was able to offer his clients a complete package, from the start of the design process to the finish.

Ralph Colonna was also born on the East Coast, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania in 1937. His family moved to California in 1944 when his father was transferred there and he grew up in the Upland, Ontario area of the Los Angeles Basin. He majored in advertising and graphic design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 1957-58, but did not graduate. From 1958 to 1961 Mr. Colonna worked for a number of design firms, until he started his own firm in Westwood in 1961. The firm moved a number of times as it grew to its maximum size of forty people. He sold the studio in 1971 and moved to the Napa Valley where he opened a gourmet cookware store, which still exists, at "Vintage 1870", an old warehouse and winery, in Yountville. While he had the store, Mr. Colonna did some graphics work for other stores in the area. The store was sold in 1978 so he could concentrate on the design business that he had started with Mr. Farrell.

John Farrell and Ralph Colonna met in 1974 and John Farrell showed his work to Ralph Colonna, who liked the work. In 1975 Mr. Colonna said he had been asked to make a presentation for a package design system to Domaine Chandon, which was just being built. Mr. Colonna and Mr. Farrell collaborated on the presentation, but did not get the job. However they enjoyed working together and decided to work together on some other projects though they kept their businesses independent.

History:

Messrs. Farrell and Colonna started to share work space and costs in 1975 and in 1976 decided to go into business in St. Helena together. In those early days, it was easy to set up a design shop and Mr. Farrell likes to say that it could be done for less than $100, as all that was needed was a T square and a drawing board.

Jeffery Caldewey had an office in the same building and was also doing early label design. In 1976 they all decided to join forces to avoid useless competition. Initially the company was a partnership called Colonna, Caldewey, Farrell: Designers. When Mr. Caldewey left the company in 1982 and went out on his own, the name of the business was changed to Colonna, Farrell: Design, the name under which it operated until October, 1999 when the name was changed to CF.NAPA. The business was incorporated in California in 1981 under the name of Design Research Institute Inc. As the company grew, it moved several times in St.Helena and in October, 1999 it moved to Napa after merging with LA6A, which also has offices in Cincinnati, Chicago and New York.

Once Messrs. Colonna and Farrell established themselves as credible package designers, many area wineries wanted to get to know them and their company. The company put together presentations and the principals went to various wineries to promote themselves. In effect they were salesmen as well as designers, but it enabled them to build relationships with various well known wineries such as Beringer, Mondavi, and Sutter Home, even though they might not be the sole supplier of design.

The wine business, however, began to change. New owners came in, many of whom had not been in the wine business before but had been doctors, brokers, etc. They were often looking for a life style change more than they were trying to make a lot of money. The idea was to live in a beautiful place and have a small business. Colonna, Farrell worked with these new people and they became a large part of the company's business.

The early Colonna Farrell designs parroted what was being done in French labeling at the time. This was a traditional look and helped establish credibility. But this changed for a number of reasons: the wineries wanted to look different from each other and Colonna, Farrell: Design didn't want to be identified with any particular "look". This led the company to establish relationships with various designers, illustrators, photographers and artists in general, in order to make its product designs more unique, a practice that continues to this day, though most of the design work is created by employees of the company.

After a while, many of the larger wineries began to be acquired by companies that were not from the Napa Valley. Often these were large conglomerates or distilleries such as Hiram Walker and Seagrams and the wineries were only a small portion of their business. This changed the complexion of many established wineries.

It also changed the way Colonna, Farrell did business, as the headquarters of the parent companies often were not in the Napa Valley. Messrs. Farrell and Colonna felt they had to pursue business where the headquarters were. This meant traveling to meet the decision makers and impress them with the company's range of services. It also led to new types of work for the company, though the focus was still in beverages. Most importantly, it meant that the principals did less and less design work and more and more sales and marketing and administration. But it also led to creating a business that was not totally dependent on the principals.

At the same time the nature of design work was changing. When the company was started, most of the work was done by hand, but today computers play a much larger role in the design process. A similar pivotal change was occurring in the printing industry as new technology allowed labels to change from simple rectangular shapes to die cuts, embossing, foil stamps, and other fanciful and complex techniques.

The company is now also involved in packaging design so that every facet of the identity of the winery is controlled. This includes, in addition to the labels, packaging, bottle shape, shipper cartons, gift packs, and promotional materials. The company also has the capability of dealing with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and comparable regulators overseas. The business is still evolving and is now going beyond design into marketing and Colonna, Farrell, as a leader in the industry, is also evolving.

Related Materials:

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, ca. 1724-1977 (Subject Category: Wine)

Provenance:

This collection was donated to the National Museum of American History, Archives Center on November 17, 1997 by John Farrell and Ralph Colonna, the principals of CF.NAPA, previously know as Colonna, Farrell: Design.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Wine labels  Search this

Wine and wine making  Search this

Genre/Form:

Packaging

Oral history

Labels

Design drawings

Audiocassettes

Citation:

Colonna, Farrell Wine Label Collection, 1975-1997, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0626

See more items in:

Colonna, Farrell Wine Label Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8c66cce96-012e-4789-9b22-3467d3614239

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0626

Creator:

National Museum of the American Indian  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2017-02-15T19:46:58.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Native Americans;American Indians  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNMAI

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNMAI

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_JVFbQGJqIUA

Creator:

Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce  Search this

Type:

Lectures

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-03-11T14:12:43.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Natural History;Marine biology  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianSMS

Data Source:

Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianSMS

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_wVgswZvu0AM

Creator:

Human Studies Film Archives  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2018-04-13T14:42:04.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Anthropology  Search this

See more by:

HSFAFilmClips

Data Source:

Human Studies Film Archives

YouTube Channel:

HSFAFilmClips

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_iMUADyIYiKg

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2010-04-19T19:44:37.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianMagazine

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianMagazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_q4Bzflsou_k

Creator:

Smithsonian Channel  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2019-11-25T16:30:00.000Z

YouTube Category:

Entertainment  Search this

See more by:

smithsonianchannel

Data Source:

Smithsonian Channel

YouTube Channel:

smithsonianchannel

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_9lwZggNYbko

Creator:

Smithsonian Channel  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2020-03-10T15:30:00.000Z

YouTube Category:

Entertainment  Search this

See more by:

smithsonianchannel

Data Source:

Smithsonian Channel

YouTube Channel:

smithsonianchannel

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_fZeB6-Xi6Is

Designer:

Christophe Huet, French, 1700–1759  Search this

Print Maker:

Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Guelard, French, 1719–ca. 1755  Search this

Publisher:

François-Philippe Charpentier, France, 1734–1817  Search this

Medium:

Etching on laid paper

Dimensions:

25.7 × 31.8 cm (10 1/8 × 12 1/2 in.)

Type:

albums (bound) & books

Bound print

Object Name:

Bound print

Published in:

Paris, France

Date:

1743

Credit Line:

Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council

Accession Number:

1921-6-319-15

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

See more items in:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection

Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department

Data Source:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4da666917-d571-4afe-9d99-c4f400b44cdd

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:chndm_1921-6-319-15

Culture/People:

Deh Gah Got'ine (Slavey)  Search this

Collector:

Donald A. Cadzow, Non-Indian, 1894-1960  Search this

Object Name:

Bowl and spoon model/miniature

Media/Materials:

Wood

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

Mackenzie River; Northwest Territories; Canada

Catalog Number:

9/4699

Barcode:

094699.000

See related items:

Deh Gah Got'ine (Slavey)

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws62bda2de0-ac3a-4a08-acb9-63bc701d8e99

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_102290

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Bowl/Dish

Media/Materials:

Mountain sheep horn

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/940

Barcode:

010940.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6678948cb-39de-41b0-9908-1857cab76d7c

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_11751

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon/Ladle

Media/Materials:

Mountain sheep horn

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/941

Barcode:

010941.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws69cf9f184-3863-47db-ae4c-d2cc83128f10

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_11752

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon

Media/Materials:

Animal Bone

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/942

Barcode:

010942.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws67e8515e3-1838-4283-8704-2ebb2d66581c

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_11753

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon

Media/Materials:

Cow horn

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/943

Barcode:

010943.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6a03f2ffb-aa76-44a8-826c-904f48c5db4b

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_11754

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Previous owner:

Chief Nanok (Nan-Nook), Tahltan  Search this

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon/Ladle

Media/Materials:

Mountain sheep horn

Techniques:

Carved, inlaid

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/944

Barcode:

010944.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6205b3d11-43ce-4d25-b11e-d424de2b7aa1

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_11755

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon/Ladle

Media/Materials:

Mountain goat horn

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/945

Barcode:

010945.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6985e5cf0-cdef-4bd0-b71e-63932ac014cb

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_11756

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Previous owner:

Chief Nanok (Nan-Nook), Tahltan  Search this

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon/Ladle

Media/Materials:

Horn, abalone/haliotis shell

Techniques:

Carved, inlaid

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/946

Barcode:

010946.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws636e7a3e7-c69d-452d-8f6f-29127e1fd516

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_11757

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon

Media/Materials:

Caribou bone

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/2503

Barcode:

012503.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws668275843-0dc9-4d3e-beb0-44ce2403cac7

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_13425

Culture/People:

Dene (Northern Athabascan)  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon

Media/Materials:

Mountain sheep horn, wood

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

Yukon River valley; Yukon River; Calista Native Corporation, Doyon Native Corporation; Alaska; USA

Catalog Number:

1/2509

Barcode:

012509.000

See related items:

Dene (Northern Athabascan)

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6e612943c-8ce0-4426-b391-bea04d57c7a2

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_13431

Culture/People:

Tahltan  Search this

Collector:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Previous owner:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Seller:

George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon (unfinished)

Media/Materials:

Mountain sheep horn

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

British Columbia; Canada

Catalog Number:

1/2890

Barcode:

012890.000

See related items:

Tahltan

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6e4a4a902-0fba-4fb7-be79-1a622c094d2a

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_13685

Culture/People:

probably Koyukon (attributed)  Search this

Object Name:

Spoon

Media/Materials:

Wood

Techniques:

Carved

Object Type:

Food/Beverage Serving

Place:

Wiseman; Doyon Native Corporation; Alaska; USA

Catalog Number:

14/7571

Barcode:

147571.000

See related items:

Koyukon

Food/Beverage Serving

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6a810a744-2e56-40a2-8e45-0d1ef4c81763

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_158571