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30 September, 2007
Type Tour Photos
For those of you who missed this weekend's typographic walking tour that Tobias led for AIGA/NY, designer Karen Horton has uploaded a Flickr set containing some of the highlights. There are a couple of treasures here that aren't to be missed, including at least one rare architectural palimpsest that won't be visible for long. (Demolition in the city regularly exposes sudden windows into the the past, as in 1998 when Times Square was suddenly home to a 121-year-old advertisement for "J. A. Keal's Carriage Manufactory," painted in 1877.) Some of the lettering on the type tour is older still, and some of the newer signs may find themselves covered up by adjacent construction. So catch them while you can, or wait another 121 years to see if they resurface in 2128. — JH
Got other photos from the type tour? Let us know.
8 September, 2007
A Typographic Walking Tour
More than fonts, it's lettering that contributes the dominant flavor to New York City's typography. More often than not, these one-off inscriptions and signs, handmade by artisans in a variety of media, were rendered in styles unconnected with the business of typography, which refers only to the practice of creating alphabets for printing. But the advent of digital type has made it easier than ever to use a mere font for architectural lettering as well. Combined with the building boom that's transforming the city faster than ever, the grand inscriptions and humble signboards that constitute our alphabetic inheritance are vanishing fast.
In preparing the Gotham typeface, which celebrates just one of New York's unmistakable typographic themes, Tobias Frere-Jones assiduously photographed tens of thousands of signs throughout the metropolis. On Saturday, September 29 at 11:00, Tobias will be leading a typographic walking tour for AIGA/NY, which promises two and a half hours of the city's most unexamined — and imperiled — typographic treasures. Space is limited, so book early. Don't forget your camera, and a snack. Sold out! — JH
Update: Photos and more photos from type tour attendees.
Use Google Earth? Download the tour itinerary.
