Our ubiquitous simple circled T didn't spring from the depths of a tunnel fully formed like some Venus on a half shell. It turns out that Cambridge Seven Associates considered a number of potential logos for the MBTA, created in 1964 to take over from the old MTA.

MBTA History Train has been posting photos of the rejects, thanks to the work of Jake Foley at the Seashore Trolley Museum, who found them buried in some old paperwork the museum has.

T in a circle, more or less.

A flying T.