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Fonts in the Wild

Molly Newport
5 days ago
2 min read

Old brick building with "J. EYRES" text. Overcast sky, leafless trees in the background. Moody setting with a rustic, weathered look.

Last month on the blog I shared my love of a handmade sign with you. These signs were homemade and in the wild, interacting with all sorts of passers by - a sort of treasure hunt of creativity and in some cases necessity.

This time I'm sharing my love of a more structured font. Most of these straight and uniform letters are found in a place of industry such as canal networks and old mills with some found at places of leisure like glass houses and swimming pools.

Greenhouse interior with lush plants and arched ceiling, viewed through a window. A sign above reads "NO ADMITTANCE".

A weathered black signpost in a lush green field shows directions to Hellifield (4 miles) and Gargrave (3½ miles) under a cloudy sky.

I really admire the no frills and fancy approach to these signs, the font is very to the point with no faff.

Old brick building with faded signs: "Builders & Engineers Merchants" and "Ships Stores." Graffiti on doors. Overcast sky above.

Wooden sign reading "ROW B" mounted on a metal frame. Background features white subway tiles with green trim and a wooden floor.

Vintage fish and chip shop with ivy-covered brick facade. Wooden door marked "25". Sign reads "Delph Fish and Chip Shop" and "JS 1769".

Perhaps there's something in the black on white / white on black element that particularly draws me in too. The harshness of the contrast with interesting shapes made in the negative spaces.

Vintage canal boat labeled "Fellows, Morton & Clayton Ltd." and "Venice" moored on a calm river, surrounded by lush green trees.

This charming example of traditional sign writing on canal boats reminds me to revisit my copy of The Unsophisticated Arts by Barbara Jones. Jones explored the everyday art found on houseboats, fairground rides, tattoo parlours and more to uncover the folklore and stories hidden within. It's always a treat to admire the different names and illustrations used on narrowboats as you walk along the towpath.

Green sign for public footpaths to Strines, Marple, and New Mills. Text: "Please control your dog. Leave no litter." Lush greenery.

(The raised lettering on this sign took every inch of me not to grab a crayon and do an old fashioned texture rubbing in my sketchbook - do you remember doing those at school?)

Black wall mural with large white text "YOU & ME" repeating. Urban setting with brick wall and leafless tree. Overcast sky.

A more contemporary find, it was such a treat to see these huge letters covering the side of a building in Leeds, this great piece of work You & Me & Me & You by Antony Burrill has a brilliant sense of scale and impact.

I'm not too sure where these last two posts on lettering and font will go next, I have enjoyed sharing this love of mine and will continue to stop dead on towpaths, climb over fences and smile broadly at these things when I see them out and about. Let's just enjoy this space for them and see what comes of it.

Thanks again for indulging my passion!