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,
“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
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
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still lays claim on the brick buildings of the West Bottoms.
Ghost Type 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
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
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DOGS.
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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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
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past, and while sometimes illegible, beautiful all the same.
Weathered Typography 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
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signs found within downtown Kansas City and the West Bottoms.
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.
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LETTERFORMS ARE MAN-MADE AND MALLEABLE BY THE USER.
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All letterforms express different qualities,
possible forms of expression. As a surface, brick gives texture to art and
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
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
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styles of writing which saturate the brick buildings of our cities today.
Painted on Brick 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
than to boxes or bars near the tops of tall buildings. The newness of these
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signs presents a crisp presentation of paint on brick.
MODERN TYPOGRAPHY AND BRICK COINCIDE PURPOSEFULLY.
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No Caution in Cursive 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
best when accompanied by a sans-serif font.
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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. Twodimensional 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
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sign tell the viewer about the business. These letterforms range from simple to
Two-Dimensional Signs 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
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complement the type of brick used in the building.
LETTERING OF COMMERCIAL PURPOSES WILL OFTEN RESPOND TO THE FUNCTION OF A BUILDING.
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Three-Dimensional Signs 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
BRICK
entertainment venue or restaurant.
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.
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THESE SIGNS ARE OFTEN FOUND DOORWAYS.
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ABOVE
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.
SOURCES by Phil Baines & Catherine Dixon by Paul Tosh Lettering on Buildings by Nicolete Gray, Reinhold Publishing Corporation New York 1911