London Street Signs: A visual history of London's street nameplates

Description

All across this magnificent metropolis of ours you can find a remarkable public archive of lettering - London's street nameplates. A unique collection of styles and forms that stretches back to the 17th century, these little labels hide in plain sight - we use their information daily, but too often fail to really notice them. And they aren't just visual anchors, telling us where we are; but temporal anchors too, telling us where we've come from. Documenting the street signs that are most visible today - the most significant, the most beautiful, the most curious - from enamel plates to incised lettering, from the simplest cast iron signs to gloriously ornamental architectural plaques, London Street Signs is a visual record of this shaded corner of our collective history. This book also uncovers some of the stories behind these generally unassuming treasures, revealing where they themselves came from, before being affixed to brick or stone for decades to come. From the iconic nameplates of the City of Westminster to the stunning tiled signs of Hampstead, from the revival nameplates of Lambeth to the ghost signs of the no-longer existent NE postal district, this is a journey through the history of a great metropolis.

Alistair Hall is co-founder and art director of children's literacy charity Ministry of Stories and its fantastical shop, Hoxton Street Monster Supplies. In addition to running design studio We Made This, with projects including the Penguin Great Ideas series and clients such as London Cycling Campaign and the Crafts Council, Alistair also manages to find time to lecture in Graphic Design at The Cass and Typography at Central Saint Martins.

'Recommended for enthusiasts of London history and graphic design.' * London Historians * '[Hall's] images, detailed captions and entertaining text made me look at street signs with a renewed aesthetic appreciation and curiosity.' -- Catherine Croft * C20 Magazine * 'Riddled with fascinating stories, themes, and learnings that can be taken from them. ... There is no doubt that London Street Signs is, and will remain, the definitive work on this very niche topic.' * Better Letters * 'Mr Hall writes in an informative way about an unexpectedly fascinating topic' * Times Literary Supplement * 'An absolute must for type fans - one of THE design books of the year' * Daniel Benneworth *