'Lettres Decoratives' Is a Celebration of Fin de Siecle Sign Painters' Vibrant Letterforms

"Only in the nineteenth century did painters make alphabets into primary decorative elements. Indeed even then, many of the letters painted on signboards, canvas awnings, and vehicles remained simple in form, following inherited models of Roman square capitals and modern variants used in printing type. The new demand for eye-catching signs called for significant change in perspective."

Sign painting was a vital trade before digital fonts and mass printing technologies made hand-painted promotional signage obsolete. A new book by Letterform Archive celebrates French sign painting from 1875 to 1932, featuring over 150 full-color reproductions of decorative lettering samples from lithograph portfolios. These portfolios functioned as inspiration catalogues for sign painters, showcasing styles and motifs applicable to billboards and signage. Decorative painting existed long before embellished lettering became prominent, but only in the nineteenth century did painters establish alphabets as primary decorative elements, moving beyond simple Roman capitals to create eye-catching designs that met growing commercial demands.

Read at Colossal