helvetica and the new york city subway system

26 January 2010   //     0 comments   //   design, ephemera, history, signage

Helvetica Subway

Helvetica Subway

Helvetica Subway

New, limited edition book, about Helvetica’s infiltration of the New York City subway system. Written by Paul Shaw. Including hundreds of photos, along with reproductions of pages from various MTA and NYCTA signage manuals. Oh, I’m sorry — was that me drooling? Goodness, how embarrassing.

I lived in New York for 6 years, and I return every year at least twice, and to count the number of photos I have taken down in the subway would be impossible. I am obsessed with its haphazard permanence, its raw, often accidental beauty, and its consistent inconsistency.

I can’t wait to hold this book in my hand.

highbrow pulp fiction

05 January 2010   //     0 comments   //   caught my eye, ephemera, vintage

I love unlikely pairings. Like cucumber and chile flavored popsicles.

But from the point of view of a writer/designer, what could be more fun than Pulitzer Prize winning plays disguised as pulp fiction!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

A Streetcar Named Desire

The Rose Tattoo

I love the Thomas Hart Benton art on Streetcar. Doesn’t it feel exactly like the play?