Apple Original Rainbow Logo to Be Auctioned in New York

The original Apple logo with rainbow colours is going for auction in June 2014. The logo was used by the company from 1976 to 1997.

It is the auction house Bonhams that obtained a couple of Apple rainbow logo boards which used to hang outside the Apple headquarters in California. CNET reported that those logo boards had been removed in 1997 as those were replaced by the ones with a monochromic Apple logo which had become iconic ever since. The Apple logo boards are going to start at $10,000 at the auction.

According to the auction house, it was Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' decision to take out the section of the Apple logo "so that no one would confuse it with a tomato." He picked the rainbow design as it was an effort to humanise the company. Each board at the auction features horizontal rainbow colours flowing across an apple. There is a bite-sized piece missing in the apple.

One of the boards measures 46 inches by 49 inches. It was reportedly placed on the side of building 3 on the Cupertino campus. The logo was apparently visible from Highway 280, according to the auction house. The other sign measures 33 inches by 36 inches. When the logos were removed, those were given to "a long-time Apple employee," TUAW reported. The name of the employee was, however, not disclosed. The logos apparently have signs of wear and tear as it graced the Apple campus for years. The larger apple in the logos was made of "stiff foam," whereas the smaller one was made of metal and fibreglass.

The logos are definitely going to attract collectors and Apple fans. The auction titled as "The Story of the 20th Century" is going to be held in New York on June 4. Even though the bidding will start at a moderate amount of $10,000 - the bidding is expected to reach a much higher level as the logos are considered to be two of the most precious treasures for Apple fans.