SALON NO.139: The Lost and Curious World of London Signs

Ghosts, Fonts, and Nameplates London is a city of signs. Street names, advertisements, shop banners, plaques, painted lettering and curious fragments of typography are everywhere . Join us to explore their rich history and curious afterlives. Urban historian JANE PARKER takes us into the world of London’s Ghost Signs: the faded advertisements and remnants of commercial lettering that survive on the city’s buildings, often long after the shops, factories and businesses they promoted have vanished. Painted directly onto brick and rendered walls, these advertisements were once part of the everyday visual landscape of London. Today they are often barely visible — fragments of names, slogans and images revealed by weather, demolition, neighbouring buildings disappearing, or simply the passage of time. Jane will reveal some of the most fascinating examples, discovered on her extensive explorations, looking at what they can tell us about London’s changing streets, trades and communities and why these accidental survivors matter ----- Street signs seem like some of the most ordinary objects in London. We rarely stop to consider their design, their history or the curious stories attached to them. But graphic designer ALISTAIR HALL has spent years doing exactly that. His extraordinary project documenting London’s street signs has recorded thousands of examples, revealing an astonishing variety of styles, materials, lettering and design. From grand Victorian signs and elaborate plaques to obscure survivors, eccentric typography and signs whose origins have been forgotten, Alistair will introduce us to some of London’s strangest and most curious street signs. Why does one street have an ornate enamel plaque while the next has a simple painted sign? Why do some signs reveal the history of a particular borough, estate or institution? And what can the typography and materials tell us about the period in which they were made? ----- JANE PARKER is a London guide, photographer, graphic designer and typographer whose work explores the overlooked details and hidden histories of the capital. Through Jane’s London she leads walks that reveal a less familiar London, including tours devoted to the city’s Ghost Signs and the stories behind its disappearing commercial lettering. ALISTAIR HALL is an award-winning graphic designer and writer. His fascination with London’s visual landscape led to a four-year project documenting more than 4,000 street signs across the capital. He is the author of London Street Signs: A Visual History of London’s Street Nameplates, an exploration of the city’s extraordinary collection of street lettering, plaques and signs. Our home, THE HORSE HOSPITAL, is a unique Grade II listed not-for-profit,, independent arts venue within the only existing unspoilt example of a two-floor, purpose-built stable with public access in London. Built in 1797 by James Burton, the shell is constructed with London Stocks whilst the interior features a mock cobbled concrete floor and ramps with slats to prevent the horses from slipping. Each floor has five cast iron pillars and several original iron tethering rings. There will be a bar to purchase drinks DIRECTIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY