FONT HUNTER

Urban typography, captured in the wild.

In a distant time before digital design software and computerized printing, most signs in New York City were individually hand-lettered. From advertisements and shop windows to warning signs and stone monuments, each word was uniquely painted, carved, or stenciled for the purpose.

In a world of identical Helvetica subway signs, and homogenous computer-printed posters, forgotten hand-lettering can still be found clinging on to the neglected corners of this city - unique, personal, and irreplaceable.

The resulting typographies exist outside of the world of standardized, named "fonts", as we think of them on our computers today. Most were lettered by architects, shopkeepers, and house painters - people without specific typographic training. As such, these urban letterforms range from the endearingly awkward to the exquisitely creative.

So follow along as I begin my expedition to hunt down lost lettering, forgotten fonts, and tucked-away typography. Each entry will include: 1) a photo of the original sign, 2) a digitized tracing of the letter forms, and 3) in the name of experimentation, a type sample of the new digital font in action, created by myself.

Submissions from fellow adventurers are welcome!

Let the hunt begin!
- John Yates