London Street Signs

All across this magnificent metropolis of ours you can find a remarkable public archive of lettering – London’s street nameplates.

A unique collection of styles and forms that stretches back to the 17th century, these little labels hide in plain sight – we use their information daily, but too often fail to really notice them. And they aren’t just visual anchors, telling us where we are; but temporal anchors too, telling us where we’ve come from.

Documenting the street signs that are most visible today – the most significant, the most beautiful, the most curious – from enamel plates to incised lettering, from the simplest cast iron signs to gloriously ornamental architectural plaques, London Street Signs is a visual record of this shaded corner of our collective history.

This book also uncovers some of the stories behind these generally unassuming treasures, revealing where they themselves came from, before being affixed to brick or stone for decades to come. From the iconic nameplates of the City of Westminster to the stunning tiled signs of Hampstead, from the revival nameplates of Lambeth to the ghost signs of the no-longer existent NE postal district, this is a journey through the history of a great metropolis.

Author Biography

Alistair Hall is co-founder and art director of children’s literacy charity Ministry of Stories and its fantastical shop, Hoxton Street Monster Supplies. In addition to running design studio We Made This, with projects including the Penguin Great Ideas series and clients such as London Cycling Campaign and the Crafts Council, Alistair also manages to find time to lecture in Graphic Design at The Cass and Typography at Central Saint Martins.