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Lidov typograie vNew Yorku existovala po stalet, ato vnejrznjch
podobch. Ity nejstar znich jsou jet tu atam kvidn, zcihlovch dom
po celm mst ale kvapem miz.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
New York was built as a mercantile city and its liveli-
hood depended on the active promotion of businesses and
products. From the earliest depictions of New York City
street scenes, signs, advertisements and typography have
had a dominant place in the urban image repertoire.
The nrst canvases that urban sign painters used were
building walls. Wall signs required nothing more than the
surface of the building itselfno supporting structure or
physical signboards with carved lettering. Brick and stone
turned out to be usable surfaces, if sometimes unreliably
friable, and the citys tall buildings guaranteed both visibil-
ity and space for messages to be displayed.
The composition of the paint used to produce these signs
also ensured their durability over the years. The paints
were created from a combination of readily available ele-
ments: lampblack (soot taken from oil lamps), white lead,
linseed oil, varnish and pigment. Some of the color paints
consisted of up to 95% pigment combined with a lead base.
Due to the porous nature of the brick surfaces they were
painted on, multiple coats were often needed.
On many of the still visible ghost signs, only the white por-
tion remains because of the strength of the pure white lead
used, resisting years of exposure to the sun and elements.
Signs in other major cities, like London, have retained
more color due to the less intense sunlight.
In its 1916 Zoning Resolution, New York City began regu-
lating the size and placement of outdoor signage despite
strong resistance from sign companies that argued the
regulations would put 5,000 sign painters out of business.
The new ordinance also changed how signs were con-
ceived. Since they could no longer cover the entire surface
of a wall, smaller signs began popping up all over the city.
First wooden, then metal, and nnally lighted and neon
signs replaced the wall signs.
Development and new construction have also contributed
to the demise of hand-painted wall signs. Over the years,
as empty building lots in Brooklyn and Manhattan became
more and more scarce, buildings were built closer together
than ever before and often obstructed or were built directly
against existing wall signs. The rapid pace of new develop-
ment completely leveled entire neighborhoods, erasing not
only the signs, but also the buildings they were painted on.
Over the years, companies stopped creating hand-painted
advertisements because newer printing options were
cheaper and faster. Advertisers also wanted more consist-
ency in their signs from one location to another. With
hand-painted signs, each individual artist was responsible
for adapting the general look of the advertisement (includ-
ing mixing their own colors) to the location and specinc
surface conditions. New printing methods brought stand-
ardization and eliminated the craft aspect of large-scale
signmaking.
TEXT.Molly Woodward
47. TYPO.project
Stny na zdech Brooklynu aManhattanu
Historick kontext
New York byl od nepamti obchodnm
centrem aobiva jeho obyvatel byla
zvisl na tom, jak aktivn propagovali
sv sluby aprodukty. Inatch nej-
starch zobrazench poulinch scn
jsou vidt kreslen reklamy, npisy
avvsn tty.
Prvn psmomali pouvali jako sv
pltna cihlov stny dom. Pro malbu
pmo na zdi stail ttec abarva,
nebylo poteba stavt podprn le-
en nebo pipevovat kamkoli velk
psmena. Na cihly akmen lo dobe
malovat, akoliv se povrch drolil. Na
vysokch budovch byly navc velk
npisy vborn vidt.
Dky sloen pouvanch barev mly
npisy mnohaletou trvanlivost. Bar-
vy se mchaly zvoln dostupnch
psad zlampovch saz, olovnat
bloby, lnnho oleje, fermee apig-
ment. Nkter barvy obsahovaly a
95% pigmentu solovnou bz. Cihly
jsou velice porzn, atak bylo asto
nutn aplikovat barvy ve vce vrstvch.
Zmnoha npis u dnes zbvaj jen
bl sti: olovnat bloba m toti
nejvt trvanlivost aodol imnoha-
letmu vystaven slunci, deti avtru.
Vjinch velkch mstech, napklad
vLondn, zstaly npisy barevnj,
protoe je slunce tolik nevyisovalo.
Vzemnch smrnicch zroku 1916 se
poprv objevila iomezen tkajc se
velikosti aumstn venkovn reklamy.
Tato opaten se setkala se silnm
odporem ze strany irem zajiujcch
tyto npisy; tvrdily, e kvli opatenm
pijde oprci a 5 000 psmomal.
Nov pravidla mla navc za nsledek
izmnu podkladovho materilu pro
npisy. Protoe npisy nov nesmly
pokrvat cel plochy domovnch zd,
vude po mst se zaaly objevovat
men cedule nejprve devn, poz-
dji kovov. Nakonec reklamu malo-
vanou pmo na domovn zdi vytlaily
osvtlen aneonov npisy.
Zniku run malovanch npis na
zdech navc napomohl irozvoj msta
astavebn rozmach volnch parcel
vBrooklynu ina Manhattanu ubvalo,
budovy se stavly ble usebe aasto
zakrvaly npisy na zdech, ppadn
se na pomalovan zdi pmo napojova-
ly. Rychl rozvoj srovnal se zem cel
tvrti.
Firmy postupn pestaly run malo-
van npisy pouvat, protoe nov
tiskask technologie nabzely levnj
arychlej een. Run malovan
npisy navc asto vykazovaly znan
odchylky kad jednotliv psmo-
mal si toti zakzku pizpsoboval
podle svho (psmai si mchali ivlast-
n barvy) vzvislosti na konkrtnch
podmnkch apovrchu. Nov tiskask
technologie umonily sjednocen npi-
s pro rzn lokace aemesln aspekt
velkoformtovch npis se postupn
vytratil.
VNew Yorku funguje inn pamtko-
v ochrana, ta se ale tk budov, nikoli
npis ty mohou bt na budovch
stovky let, apesto neexistuje zkon,
kter by je uchrnil ped pemalo-
vnm i znienm. Minimln od
konce 19. stolet se debatuje otom,
jak tyto npisy studovat achrnit u
vlnku, kter vyel vNew York Time-
sech vroce 1892, si autor stuje, e
npism nen vnovna dostaten
pozornost: V Evrop jsou star npi-
sy acedule zajmavm tmatem pro
nejednoho autora, vna rychle se
rozvjejc zemi vak sotva najdeme
podklady pro podobn historick stu-
die. Dokonce inae veskrze modern
npisy by si vmnoha smrech zaslou-
ily pozornost.
Npisy vkontextu vizulnho
prostorumsta
Paradoxn plat, e patn architektura
nkdy chrn cenn npisy. Vposledn
dob se vrznch tvrtch Manhatta-
nu stav lacin krabicovit hotely, kdy
nen respektovna linie dom vulici
aped budovou vznik soukrom
dvorek. Tm se ale asto odkryj star
zdi sousednch dom asnimi inpisy,
kter na nich zstaly.
Ztrta i transformace tradinho vizu-
lnho prosted msta ijeho architek-
tury je ve vech rostoucch metropo-
lch nevyhnuteln. Proto existuj snahy
udret rovnovhu mezi pamtkovou
ochranou astavebnm rozvojem, pi
zachovn charakteru ulic iexistuj-
cch vizulnch speciik maj vak jen
omezen spch, ato ivhistoricky
49. TYPO.project
The historic preservation movement in New York City is
very powerful, but historic district and landmark protec-
tions are given to buildings, not surface signs. Even signs
that have been on buildings for hundreds of years can be
replaced or painted over, often without special review or
approval. The problem of studying and preserving signs in
New York City has been debated since at least the end of
the nineteenth century. In an 1892 New York
Times article, a reporter complains of the inattention signs
have received: [i]n Europe old signs and signboards have
proved an attractive subject for more than one author, but
in our rapidly-growing country we hardly nnd the material
for such antiquarian studies. Yet even our essentially mod-
ern signs may be found interesting in many respects.
SIGNS IN THE VISUAL ENVIRONMENT
Ironically, bad architecture can protect good signage.
Recent cheap hotel projects that are currently being built
in several Manhattan neighborhoods use simple box con-
struction, setting the buildings back from the street and
creating poorly-designed private forecourts, but exposing
cennch tvrtch. Poulin npisy
mohou bt proto asto pro budouc
generace zachrnny jen dky peliv
dokumentaci.
Postupem asu dochz ktomu, e no-
vj npisy pemalovan na existujc
podklad podlhaj ivlm apomalu se
tak odkrvaj ispodn vrstvy. Vznik
krsn run malovan typograick
obraz, kter chronologicky dokumen-
tuje vizuln djiny msta.
Revival tradinch technik
Vposlednch letech se dal
pozitivn trend zjem ozachovn
aoiven run psmomalsk tradice.
Nedvno bylo zaloeno nkolik novch
spolenost nabzejcch toto star
emeslo. VBrooklynu vznikla spole-
nost Colossal Media Group, kter se
specializuje na run malovan npisy
vnadmrnch velikostech. Zaloili
ji vroce 2004 Paul Lindhal aAdrian
Moeller, kdy si uvdomili, e na trhu
existuje voln prostor tam, kde byly
vNew Yorku dve vnabdce sluby
ady spolenost.
Nov run malovan npisy zsk-
vaj dal rozmr tm, e odkazuj na
zlatou ru takovch npis. Na Times
Square je nap. kvidn npis Coca
Cola propojen sobrzkem skleni-
ce, kter byl namalovan ve spodn
vrstv, nebo reklama na Camel, kde
velbloud vyfukuje koleka koue. Tyto
nov run malovan npisy propojuj
star metody smodernmi reklamnmi
technikami. Nedvno vznikla reklama
na holic pnu. Na velk zdi byl na-
malovan znm atlet, kter ml na
tvi strnit. Kdy byla zkladn malba
hotov, mali mu strnit pemalovali
holic pnou anakonec pnu pemalo-
vali hladce oholenou tv. Tak vznikla
iluze dokonalho oholen. Tyto malo-
van reklamy asto dopluj fotograie
avidea dvj podoby fresky, kter
jsou umstn online maj tak mno-
51. TYPO.project
old walls (and thus preserved wall signs) on neighboring
buildings.
The lossor the transformationof a citys traditional
visual environment and its architecture is inevitable as
it develops. Mature world cities like New York have at-
tempted to balance preservation with development, but
with limited success in terms of preserving the character
of its streetscape and signage, even in historic districts.
For vernacular signage, intensive documentation is one of
the few tools available to preserve this precious visual and
cultural resource.
Over time, newer signs that were painted directly over
older advertisements have faded, slowly revealing the
layers underneath and creating a beautiful typographic
palimpsest and chronological visual history of the city.
REVIVAL OF TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES
A positive development of the last few years has been
a new interest in preserving and reviving the craft of
signpainting. Recently, several new signage companies
have started up, emphasizing the nostalgic use of the craft
techniques of the past. Colossal Media Group, a Brooklyn-
based company that specializes in hand-painted super-
signs, as the city zoning code calls them, was founded in
hem ir clovou skupinu ne samotn
fyzick npisy. Jin reklamy vsob
maj zakomponovan run malovan
kdy, kter maj adresti vyfotografo-
vat anahrt na web, aby se vechny
sti kampan propojily. Tyto modern
reklamn metody spolhaj na nov
technologie apitom uvaj historick
emesln techniky. Run malovan
element je tu vyuvn nikoli znutnos-
ti, ale jako prostedek oiven.
Ikdy ada spolenost vol dra
aasov nronj metrodu runho
malovn npis proto, e technika se
hod do jejich reklamn kampan, Paul
Lindhal podotk, e zbytek klient
pli nezajm, jak je npis vyroben,
sta, e je to vas avypad to dobe.
Tuto st zajmaj pedevm reklamn
plochy, kter nabzme.
Znovuoiven starho emesla ssebou
pineslo ioiven tradinch technik
pouvanch psmomali. Pesto je
jasn, e nov obchodn model se od
tradinch npis na zdech vmnohm
li. Souasn run malovan npisy
maj mnohem krat ivotnost ne
ty historick. Kdy skon doba, na
kterou je umstn reklamy zaplaceno
(ata me trvat teba jen msc), npis
zmiz aprostor zstv przdn, dokud
si ho nepronajme nkdo dal. Tm
je podstata npisu vlastn zniena,
protoe se stv stejn pomjivm jako
titn reklama, kter kdysi malovan
npisy nahradila.
Dokumentace aochrana
VNew Yorku stle jet zbvaj tvrti,
kter si zachovvaj zsti pvodn
rz vetn starch npis; vtinou
se jedn omsta, kter rychl rozvoj
poslednch desetilet minul bez po-
vimnut. Jde napklad otakzvan
Garment District aLower East Side na
Manhattanu, nebo tzv. DUMBO (ak-
ronym oznaujc oblast Down Under
the Manhattan Bridge Overpass tvr
mezi brooklynskm amanhattanskm
mostem podl East River). Pak zbv
jet pr podobnch mst hloubji
vsrdci Brooklynu.
Ivtchto tvrtch se u zaal proje-
vovat tlak developer abrzy zdej vi-
53. TYPO.project
2004 by Paul Lindhal and Adrian Moeller after recognizing
a gap in the market where hand paint used to exist in New
York City.
New signs have become performative, adding a new di-
mension that recalls the spectaculars of the golden era of
signage in Times Squarelike the Coke sign that decanted
itself into a glass on a sign below and the Camel sign that
blew smoke rings.
These new hand-painted wall signs pair old ways with clev-
er advertising twists. One recent project for a shaving com-
pany involved a large sign painted with the image of a fa-
mous athlete in need of a shave. Once the base image was
nnished, the signpainters painted white shaving foam
over his stubble, and then painted a smooth skin surface
over the white foam, creating the illusion of a shave. Pho-
tographs and time-lapse videos often supplement these
signs and are posted on-line, reaching a far wider audience
than the static signs physically can alone. Other ads feature
hand-painted QR codes which viewers must photograph
and upload online in order to fully understand. Current ads
like these have a strange reliance on new technology while
using old techniques. The hand-painted aspect is used
more for novelty than out of necessity.
While many companies choose the more expensive and
time-consuming method of hand painting their signs be-
cause the technique nts in with their advertising campaign,
Lindhal explains, The other half arent really concerned
with how the production is executed as long as its com-
pleted on time and looks right. This half hires us because
of their specinc interest in a location we oer.
This revival has focused attention on the revitalization of
old sign-painting techniques. But there are still reminders
that this is an entirely dierent business model than the
wall-painted signs of the past. Contemporary signs have
a much shorter lifespan than the older signs.
After the life of the advertising contract (which can be as
short as a month), signs are painted over and left blank
until the next advertiser commits to the location. This
eectively erases the sign, making it as impermanent and
disposable as the printed signs that originally replaced
hand-painted signs.
DOCUMENTATION & PRESERVATION
There are still a few neighborhoods in New York City that
do retain the avor of the old signage, mostly those that
have been largely untouched by development during the
last few decades: the Garment District and the Lower East
Side in Manhattan, as well as DUMBO (an acronym for
Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and other
neighborhoods deeper in Brooklyn.
But all of these historic neighborhoods have already begun
to succumb to development pressures and soon the fabric
of their traditional vernacular signscape will be lost to gen-
MOLLY WOODWARD.1986
is agraphic designer and photographer from Brooklyn, New York. She has
been collecting examples of vernacular lettering for over 10 years. To see more
signs and learn about the vernacular typography documentation project, visit
VernacularTypography.com.
je graika afotograka ijc vnewyorskm Brooklynu. Npisy na zdech
dokumentuje pes deset let. Vce informac otomto fenomnu naleznete na adrese
VernacularTypography.com.
55. TYPO.action
trincation, as has already been the case in the Meatpacking
District, Greenwich Village and Soho.
Vernacular signage tells a citys history. Its loss deprives
the city both of a connection to its past and of a visual
resource that helps denne the ongoing narrative of urban
life. The identincation, preservation and documentation of
these cultural symbolsand the education of city-dwellers
about this critical aspect of their visual heritageneeds to
be a key goal of any preservation plan for the urban envi-
ronment.
TYPEFACE.LYON TEXT designed by Kai Bernau, Commercial Type
(www.commercialtype.com)
zuln prostor nejsp zmiz, a se sem
nasthuje bohat obyvatelstvo jako
to potkalo tvrti Meatpacking District,
Greenwich Village iSoho.
Lidov npisy vyprvj ohistorii ms-
ta, akdy budou ztraceny, New York
pijde opojtko sminulost io zdroj
vizuln inspirace, kter pomh vytv-
et nepsanou tradici msta. Identiika-
ce, zachovn adokumentace tchto
kulturnch symbol asnaha piblit
mstnm obyvatelm tento klov
aspekt jejich vizuln historie mus bt
hlavnm clem jakkoli pamtksk
koncepce tkajc se komplexnho
mstskho prosted.
PEKLAD.Olga Neumanov