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November 5, 2008 2:54 PM Subscribe
The Subway Sun and The Elevated Express &reswere posters used to inform passengers travelling on the IRT. A couple that tickled my fancy - the unlikely to happen Sociability Limit and an Obnoxious Custom. [via]
The blog entry also mentions a webcast, available from the New York Transit Museum.posted by tellurian at 3:01 PM on November 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
Starting from the beginning and working forwards, I've so far seen nothing but issues pushing that "a five cent fare is not enough." Ahh, public relations.
posted by subbes at 3:11 PM on November 5, 2008
posted by subbes at 3:11 PM on November 5, 2008
Obnoxious Cellular Phone Users
Remove yourselves from the gene pool immediately.
- The Interborough Rapid Transit Company
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 3:26 PM on November 5, 2008
Remove yourselves from the gene pool immediately.
- The Interborough Rapid Transit Company
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 3:26 PM on November 5, 2008
Mundane as their messages are, these are glorious and alive.
posted by steef at 4:15 PM on November 5, 2008
posted by steef at 4:15 PM on November 5, 2008
I liked Meet Miss Subways where young women could have their fifteen minutes of fame for a whole month. Archeologists should be aware that the IRT lines are now mostly the 'number' trains.
posted by hexatron at 4:40 PM on November 5, 2008
posted by hexatron at 4:40 PM on November 5, 2008
Hey! that's great hexatron. Here's a then and now project.
posted by tellurian at 4:46 PM on November 5, 2008
posted by tellurian at 4:46 PM on November 5, 2008
Very cool...I'm struck by how much this is like reading a blog.
posted by salishsea at 5:53 PM on November 5, 2008
posted by salishsea at 5:53 PM on November 5, 2008
Perhaps I am missing something, but I am not sure why readers are supposed to believe these are genuine. I am no expert, but these fonts look anachronistic.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:14 PM on November 5, 2008
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:14 PM on November 5, 2008
Presumably the librarians at Princeton who manage the collection are experts, or at least are heavily encouraged by the University administration to not make a fool out of themselves and their library.
posted by mendel at 8:37 PM on November 5, 2008
posted by mendel at 8:37 PM on November 5, 2008
Perhaps I am missing something, but I am not sure why readers are supposed to believe these are genuine. I am no expert, but these fonts look anachronistic.
Yes, you are missing something. You are no expert, these fonts are not anachronistic. A basic google of 1920s Advertising will bring up many examples of this use of font and typography and setting of such. In fact, a large part of the reason for my posting this site was my love and appreciation for the typography in this series of posters, as much as for the messages that they contained.
posted by tellurian at 3:39 AM on November 6, 2008
Yes, you are missing something. You are no expert, these fonts are not anachronistic. A basic google of 1920s Advertising will bring up many examples of this use of font and typography and setting of such. In fact, a large part of the reason for my posting this site was my love and appreciation for the typography in this series of posters, as much as for the messages that they contained.
posted by tellurian at 3:39 AM on November 6, 2008
Alright, alright, you've worn me down. A five cent fare isn't sufficient despite what I might have thought yesterday. Let's raise it to a dime.
posted by majick at 7:08 AM on November 6, 2008
posted by majick at 7:08 AM on November 6, 2008
Fair enough; as I myself said, I am no expert. (Thank you for your condescension, though.) Could anyone be so good as to tell me what font that is on the Obnoxious Custom link?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:34 AM on November 6, 2008
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:34 AM on November 6, 2008
I'm sorry if that came across as condescending, I didn't mean to be. I meant to come across as critical. Stating that you 'are no expert' and then making a fatuous statement deserves to be called out.
Anyway, your request for font identification:
'FOR COMFORT'
Bulletin-Regular
'One of our patrons writes'
Century 751 No 2 Bold Italic
'We suggest also that'
Cooper black
Text that begins "What better" (minus the initial capital) - this isn't right, the 'e' is wrong, but it's the closest I could find*.
Kennerley OSBQ-Regular
*Bear in mind that some of the content may not have been typeset, in fact some of it may have been Letraset, or even hand lettered at a pinch, to meet a deadline. (Bromides would have been made and a plate generated from that). This is common for a large portion of retro material. 'Sometimes' you can spot the difference (and it's often interesting).
posted by tellurian at 5:59 AM on November 7, 2008
Anyway, your request for font identification:
'FOR COMFORT'
Bulletin-Regular
'One of our patrons writes'
Century 751 No 2 Bold Italic
'We suggest also that'
Cooper black
Text that begins "What better" (minus the initial capital) - this isn't right, the 'e' is wrong, but it's the closest I could find*.
Kennerley OSBQ-Regular
*Bear in mind that some of the content may not have been typeset, in fact some of it may have been Letraset, or even hand lettered at a pinch, to meet a deadline. (Bromides would have been made and a plate generated from that). This is common for a large portion of retro material. 'Sometimes' you can spot the difference (and it's often interesting).
posted by tellurian at 5:59 AM on November 7, 2008
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