John Pierce Barnes (1893 to 1954)
This Philadelphia native painted in Collingsdale, Pennsylvania and studied at the Philadelphia School of Industrial Design and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. As his painting talent grew and his passion for art progressed, Barnes was given the opportunity to study abroad in Europe for two years. His work was exhibited through the PAFA and he received both the Cresson Traveling Scholarship and the Second Tappan Prize awards during his travels abroad. Barnes was employed by the Radio Corporation of America Victor Design Division, in Camden, NJ. There he combined his artistic talent with his design experience and has been credited for the design of the former RCA logo as well as the logo currently in use by the General Electric Company.
Barnes association with Daniel Garber can be most easily identified in his pointillist works and his impressionist depiction of light. Like many painters of the early 20th century, Barnes experimented with a variety of techniques and artistic styles, but he remained with Victor Designs until his death in 1954.