public typography and brick
DESCRIPTION
Written, Photographed, and Designed by Allie FieldsTRANSCRIPT
AL
LIE
FIEL
DS
Written, Photographed, and Designed by
ALLIE FIELDS
With the onset of the Industrial Revolution came the prevalent use of brick to
construct our cities. Brick was in no way a new building material, but it began to
transform landscapes across the nation. Along the way it provided a new medium
for signage and lettering that today is so commonplace it often is taken for granted.
The typography found on brick tells a story: a story of bygone eras, and how
industrial cities have transformed and are used today. Embrace the history, texture,
and possibilities of brick in Kansas City through Public Typography and Brick.
THE
TYPOGRAPHY
ON
BRICK
TELLS
A
STORY.
Table of Contents
OF A BYGONE ERA
A FRESH COAT OF PAINT
BRICK AS CONTEXT
IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST OF DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY,
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“French Bottoms,” this area was the center of trade between Kansas Indians
and French trappers. After the stockyards were established in 1871 and railroads
reached their heyday the city emerged. Soon the area began to focus on the
agricultural, meatpacking, freight and industrial investments of the time. Through
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?IZ�11�IVL�I�UIRWZ��WWL�QV��!����?WZS�PI[�JMMV�LWVM�\W�ZMKTIQU�\PM�IZMI�
through the building of Kemper Arena and the American Royal agricultural show,
and some upscale and artistic tenants have begun to reestablish the area. A history
still lays claim on the brick buildings of the West Bottoms.
07
Across the nation many have begun to take notice of ghost signs, some almost
completely lost while others appear only worn by the weather. Glimpses of the
past glorify the booming industries which once dominated the area. In Lettering
on Buildings, Nicolete Gray asserts that “one thing is indisputable: sans serif is the
most rudimentary form of letter.” When examining the ghost signs in the West
Bottoms and throughout downtown Kansas City, it becomes clear that legible
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today the texture of the surface has begun to overwhelm the letterforms, the use
of thick sans serif and heavy slab serif fonts was purposefully chosen.
OLD
ADVERTISING
SIGNS
ARE
SOMETIMES
CALLED
WALL
DOGS.
Ghost Type
09
Many of the buildings bear the names of the companies that once resided behind
the brick walls, and dually served as advertisements. Old advertising signs are
sometimes called wall dogs. Ghost signs bear only the remnants of the former
colors used, and many appear to be faded white. Some even appear to have been
covered by three-dimensional letter forms that today reveal a brighter red brick.
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� !��Ja�/MWZOM�AMWUIV[��
13
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over each other over time. This provides a unique record for that building as you
can see the different industries and businesses housed there, as well as the changing
styles of typefaces used. If these remnants are not preserved they will eventually
disappear forever, and some examples are lost when buildings go into disrepair or
are torn down. However, left unattended this typography offers a glimpse of the
past, and while sometimes illegible, beautiful all the same.
15
Ghost signs occur because of the harsh weather conditions they have
faced over time. The level to which these signs are legible allows one
to estimate several facts about the particular sign, such as its age and
how well it has been restored and repainted over time. Some signs
merely appear weathered, and are much newer than other ghost
signs found within downtown Kansas City and the West Bottoms.
Weathered Typography
17
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\PM�[TWOIV�¹<IVS[�NWZ�\PM�?WZTL�º�I\\IKPML�\W�[WUM�]VSVW_V�
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Many of these signs are still legible and are examples of the old
practice of painting on brick being used after the original industries
that dominated the area had faltered. In the end one must always
remember that this fading type once had a function: to convey an
impression, as well as to spell out words; also it is part of a whole, and
must be related to the function and design of that whole.
21
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LETTERFORMS
ARE
MAN-MADE
AND
MALLEABLE
BY
THE
USER.
23
All letterforms express different qualities,
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possible forms of expression. As a
surface, brick gives texture to art and
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This quality can enhance the piece both
visually, and offers a comparison to the
original signs on brick.
GRAY CONVEYS THAT MODERN LETTERING IS MADE IN A
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is true, the simple act of painting on brick has not changed in terms of materials,
but in techniques. Brick as a medium has never disappeared, and the texture of
this surface will not change. Businesses are no longer constrained to any particular
format for the design that they paint. Past ideas sometimes come into play, but many
today appreciate painting with a hand-done feel to it. To notice the differences,
from stark stencils to loose script is to become aware of the many typefaces and
styles of writing which saturate the brick buildings of our cities today. 27
Today, these signs feature a wide variety of compositions and typefaces
that would have seemed out of place in a past era. Painted typography on
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than to boxes or bars near the tops of tall buildings. The newness of these
signs presents a crisp presentation of paint on brick.
Painted on B!ick
31
MODERN
TYPOGRAPHY
AND
BRICK
COINCIDE
PURPOSEFULLY.
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I�TIZOM�IL^MZ\Q[UMV\��
33
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VW\�MI[QTa�NW]VL�QV�\WLIa¼[�[\WZM[���<PMQZ�J]QTLQVO�]\QTQbM[�
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JMI]\QN]T�M`IUXTM�WN �\PQ[�\ZILQ\QWV��
4IZOM�XIQV\ML�TWOW[�VW\�WVTa�KIV�[MZ^M�I[�[QOVIOM�NWZ�I�
J]QTLQVO��J]\�WNNMZ�VW\QKMIJTM�IL^MZ\Q[QVO�\W�\PW[M�XI[[QVO�
Ja��;WUM\QUM[�JZQKS�Q[�XIQV\ML�ZML��[PW_V�QV�\PM�*W]TM^IZL�
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Cursive writing is a suitable development of this technique, and can be found
in multiple instances as well. It is important that the type interact with the
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best when accompanied by a sans-serif font.
No Caution in Cursive
39
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5M`QKIV�XWX]TI\QWV�_Q\P�I�JZMISNI[\�IVL�T]VKP�IZMI��<PM�
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43
Throughout Kansas City, or any city for
that matter, brick is not only used for the
practical purposes of advertising and
signage. Brick walls provide the perfect
medium for artists and vandals alike to
paint or attach their artwork. Lettering
itself can be an art where the formal
ciphers are capable of being charged
with imaginative content on a grand
scale (11). Typography itself can becomes
art when placed upon brick without the
context of advertising or signage as used
within other sections of this analysis.
WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAINTED LETTERFORM,
it is natural that other forms of signage would develop along as well. Two-
dimensional and three-dimensional signs have been placed upon brick buildings,
and several patterns arise from taking note of these particular signs. When
considering letterform, placement, situation, scale and material these signs can
be divided into several categories. Brick becomes secondary in this instance, yet
still is an element to be noticed. The surface creates context, and the color of
the brick can play a role in the signs which are attached to it. Size and type of
sign tell the viewer about the business. These letterforms range from simple to
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First, there are the two-dimensional signs. Some have painted letterforms,
which are attached to brick buildings in various fashions. These often show the
most unique typography in that the brick does not restrict the shapes or size of
the sign. There are many different colors of brick, and these signs most often
complement the type of brick used in the building.
Two-Dimensional Signs
51
LETTERING
OF
COMMERCIAL
PURPOSES
WILL
OFTEN
RESPOND
TO THE
FUNCTION
OF A
BUILDING.
53
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]XWV�_PQKP�TM\\MZNWZU[�KIV�JM�I\\IKPML�QVLQ^QL]ITTa�
55
Three-dimensional signs are also found attached to brick buildings.
These often utilize lights or neon typography which work to distract from
the ordinary building material of brick and highlight what is often an
entertainment venue or restaurant.
Three-Dimensional Signs
BRICK
BECOMES
CONTEXT
FOR
THREE-DIMENSIONAL
SIGNS.
Three-dimensional signs offer in some ways the most creative freedom for the
typographer. These signs can light up at night, or they can take advantage of
negative space when shapes are cut out. Smaller text is often used in this type of
signage since it is not as essential they be viewed from great distances. Color also
seems to vary greatly within these circumstances.
61
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-]ZWXM��\PW]OP�I�UWLMZV�^MZ[QWV�WN �\PQ[�QLMI��
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63
THESE
SIGNS
ARE
OFTEN
FOUND
ABOVE
DOORWAYS.
Brick is an unmistakable surface for typography within our cities, Kansas City
being no exception. Whether it be painted, old, new, or even three-dimensional
one can’t walk down the street without passing by one of these signs. Often taken
for granted, it is important to see the history brick provides for typography created
long ago, and the opportunities it offers to serve as context for new signs today.
This surface unites typography in a way few surfaces can through its unmistakable
texture and its great abundance. Brick will never be a new surface for typography,
yet it offers possibilities to remember our history, and embrace the future.
BRICK
WILL
NEVER
BE A
NEW
SURFACE
FOR
TYPOGRAPHY.
Designer as Author, Patrick Dooley, Fall 2012, The University of Kansas.
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SOURCES
;QOV["�4M\\MZQVO�\PM�-V^QZWVUMV\ by Phil Baines & Catherine Dixon
<PM�=V�+]T\]ZML�?WZL"�>MZVIK]TIZ�<aXWOZIXPa�IVL�1UIOM by Paul Tosh
Lettering on Buildings by Nicolete Gray, Reinhold Publishing CorporationNew York 1911
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