Stanley Meston designed the original Golden Arches for McDonald’s restaurants in the 1950s.
Meston was an architect based in California who worked with McDonald’s brothers Richard and Maurice on the design of their restaurant buildings. The arches were conceived as prominent architectural features that could be seen from the road.
The first arches were tall, yellow structures positioned at opposite sides of the building. They were not initially just a printed logo; they were part of the physical restaurant design. Their visibility helped McDonald’s stand out to passing motorists.
A common mix-up is crediting Ray Kroc with designing the arches. Kroc expanded the McDonald’s system, but the original architectural concept came from Meston. The arches were later simplified into the familiar logo associated with the company.