Lately, it seems that no matter what I’m doing, all I notice is type.
on the streets – in the shops
When on vacation in Italy, yeah I enjoyed the ocean scenery and Italian flair, don’t get me wrong – but what I really notice is typography used on the streets and in the shops.
Or when I go shopping, I find myself circling the racks, getting distracted by all the (hand-lettered or pseudo-hand-lettered) prints on shirts announcing important things to the world. Like, “ABRACADABRA”, or “I scream for ice cream”.
selection
Unfortunately, I can’t document all these impressions – because it would take all day and also I think security would arrest me if I kept taking pictures of stores’ products without buying them. So what happens is that I end up only taking pictures of typography that really inspires me. (Or, very rarely, I end up buying the shirt.) Or, on the other hand, of things that deeply disturb me, that I’m sure could be done better.
So don’t worry if you see a young woman taking numerous pictures of a seemingly boring wall, or circling your clothing store five times. Now you know it’s just me, documenting typography of everyday life.
These impressions, however small they may be, reflect my reality. And since all any of us do should be about making the world a more beautiful place, I’d like to share some of these pictures with you. You can also find them on my Pinterest board designated to street typography, where I’ll be adding new pictures in the future. I hope they inspire you to walk through your own city with open eyes!
(PS: You might notice that I’m an avid user of Pinterest… feel free to browse my other boards, too!)
cartoleria. stationary store in Grosseto, Italy
Änderungen Reparaturen. Innsbruck, Austria
interesting 2. Elba, Italy
upside-down 8, but watch out for the cat! Elba, Italy
Caffé Vergnano. Italy
fortune from fortune cookies. ALL CAPS SEEM TO BE YELLING. plus Chinese. in Vienna, Austria
the hotel is grand, but the sign only got lower case letters. Grosseto, Italy
L’erbaVoglio. Elba, Italy
“Le quartier en movement” – the neighborhood is changing. Paris, France
LiteraturhausMünchen. serifs, sans, and italics in one logo. Munich
Metropolitain. Paris, France
Palazzina Napoleonica. Elba, Italy
Parisian Alphabet. taken 2011 in Paris, France
the “Pinakothek” sign. Munich
the tombstone of Richard Henry Tooth, Esq. Innsbruck, Austria
a branded “Stiegl Weisse” glass. taken in a Biergarten in Austria
one of my favorite signs as a kid. Tabak Trafik, where they sell magazines, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. Innsbruck, Austria
the company Tenute del Cerro’s interesting labelling for Tuscan wine. Castiglione della Pescaia, Italy
Thai ginger ale. Koh Samui, Thailand
Please do not sit or stand on the wall on top of the temple, you stupid tourists. taken in 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand written in flowers at Thai flower festival. taken in 2011 in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tirol isch lei oans… roughly translated: the lovely little region of Tyrol is one of a kind. spotted in a furniture store in Innsbruck, Austria
Viertelstundenrieb, letting you know how much farther you have to hike before you get beer. Rinn, Austria
the letters are gone – as is the store – but you can still tell what they sold there. Waffen Fischerei, Carinthia, Austria
a mixture of questionable typography and an arrow to get the message across… just, well, because. Bangkok, Thailand
vintage Weizenbier sign. seen in Innsbruck, Austria
empty cigar boxes found in grandpa’s basement. Innsbruck, Austria
Cesaroni sign, Grosseto, Italy © the wordsmith