Typophile

Old northwest typography

takes2totricycle

I am working on a film about Portland OR, as well as the pacific northwest. Portland is filled with old building painted with great typography. It’s very railroad/lumber yard looking (which is Portland’s roots). The film is going to capture the essence of the rustic city, by featuring a sound track of all local artists and using old typography.

I’ve attached some examples of the buildings, and some scans out of a book. I am NOT looking for a distressed font, or anything cheesy like that. I plan to use slighty imperfect letter spacing (as the type was painted by hand) and faded colors. Of course, I am really open to suggestions for interesting (but not over the top) type treatment ideas.

If there are any typefaces you know of that are similar to what I’ve attached, it would be most appreciated. Bonus points if the type or typography has any historical relevance to the northwest.

Thanks all!

‹ Antique typewriter font Typeface identification / Legenden? ›
typerror

Justin

You might want to go to your local train store. There is a publisher, OSO Publishing/Evergreen Hill, which produced some books on the rails out there. They are a great resource.

I partiularly love the Uintah Railway Co. My favorite is the 2-6-6-2 Steam engine used by them.

Trains were the recipient of some great lettering/type so I would not discount the RR as a source. Cool stuff and some wonderful lettering/type on engines, buildings and signage.

Guess you can tell what I do in my spare time. HO all the way. Get your minds out of the gutter... HO is a train guage. Not you Justin ; )

Michael

LeeMc

Your examples look to be from a wide time span but some simple ideas are:
-Neutratext, it has a similar feel.
-akzidenz grotesk (similar to what you have at the bottom-and the most prevelant pre-Helvetica Sans so probly in your time frame).
-Belwe (pretty classic)
-Ottomat
-Candida (personal favorite)
-Trade gothic (obvious! the classic face of the industrial revolution-this guy practically built the railroads!)
-Americana (a bit played out but relevant)
-AmfacParksHeadline (essentially serifed version of Trade)

-Hope some of those help. You’re project sounds cool-the time in which Portland came up be was an interesting time for design and typography in general. Good Luck keep us posted

Penn Glendinning

I don’t have anything to add, but I just wanted to say I really like that last uppercase ’G’. Anyone know that exact font, or one with a similar ’G’?

penn

typerror

A wonderful aside.

When I got into lettering in the early eighties I searched out a couple of the surviving old guys who did some of the buildings here in Richmond.

One of them who was at least late in his nineties told me... “Ain’t a one of them (type designers, I assume) know what they’re doin’. I have to borrow an N from this style and an A from that one and then finagle them to work on the building, ain’t enough room for the damn showoff ten dollar names. Inc. or Co. don’t make a damn to me! Just shorten the rest of the malarky. I almost fell off my chair laughing.

Michael

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