The first corporate mark, used from 1894 for about 35 years, combined a cross over a circle, the company initials and “aluminum”. The name Alcoa, given to the Tennessee workers’ town established in 1910, had become familiar by 1929, when a Norman shield and the name formed a new trademark. Harley Earl Associates designed the 1955 rectangular mark, reducing the shield and emphasising two equilateral triangles. Saul Bass’ 1963 design combined a graphic symbol with the name in the specially designed Alcoa Alphabet. Arnold Saks modernised that mark in 1999, when the corporate name formally became Alcoa Inc.
The company history dates incorporation as The Pittsburgh Reduction Co. to 1 October 1888, after an initial choice of Pittsburg Aluminium Co. as the name. Lloyds instead traces the origin to 1894 and describes the company as successor to American Bauxite. The name changed to Aluminium Co. of America in 1907, superseding an earlier Lloyds date of 1916, and to Alcoa Inc. in 1999. Headquarters remained at Pittsburgh after operating administration moved to New York by 1914.
The maritime structure included Alcoa Steamship and Alcoa of Australia, with Halco (Mining) listed as an associate and Ocean Search as agent.
USA: Point Comfort TX, Bethesda MD and Pittsburgh PA; the source also records “Nil” in Lloyds 1978–9.