307-309 & 319 High Street

Near The Bay Antiques & Collectibles
307-309 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia
circa 2000

Cafe Europa
319 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia
circa 1986

Here is my find today in my lettering and topography quest near the Tidewater Community College | Visual Arts Center | 340 High Street.

I have decided to do a two-in-one shot this morning just because they are so close together and offer the opportunity for good contrast and comparison.

Initially what caught my eye was the way the dark burgundy awning for the Cafe Europa extended out over the sidewalk, the larger than anything else on the block letter size and then the heavily foliaged, fenced-in gated look. It feels to me like big, big, block or come, come, stop. I have yet to go into this restaurant but I do enjoy the clear large lettering on the exterior.

While right next door the business sign in actually inside (behind) the all glass storefront window. It is a good size sign but hard to read because it is divided by the glazing divisions of the window which always seem to have reflections on them. The actual facade is also recessed from the street just because the entry is recessed to the street. This facade is also slanted from the street so the entrance is better seen when walking from one direction over the other direction; an interesting solution. It does offer the opportunity for more individualized personalization of the wedge area per shop.

The Cafe Europa looks like a Modern typeface which actually covers the time period in the 1800s and into the early 1900s. These typefaces are very easy to read, they have a large x-height which means the lower case letters are often larger than the mean line, and the round letters like 'o's and 'p's are very round and wide taking up more space than their earlier counterparts (Old Style or Transitional) which exhibited a more tall than wide orientation and often had an oblique axis.

The Near The Bay Antiques & Collectibles shop uses two typefaces. Near the Bay is written in a humanistic soft and welcoming serif which is a good choice if you want people to come on in. While the Antiques & Collectibles is done in a modern interpretation of a Black Letter typeface which is imparting to us that these antique objects are old; however upon closer inspection nothing inside is actually as old as the lettering suggests, but maybe that is a good thing.



Other urban topography & lettering photos in this series:

In Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia
All Saints Chapel : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Historical Placard Q 8A : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
1763 Grave Marker : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
FOOTE Memorial Stone : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Two Crosses : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Bangel Law Building : 505 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Portsmouth Public Library : 606 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Pythian Castle : 600-612 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Towne Bank Building : 200 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Coffee House Facade : 300 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Near The Bay Antiques & Collectibles : 307-309 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Chapman Building : 310 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Cafe Europa : 319 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
The Lobscouser : 337 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
New Kirn Building : 339 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Dollar General : 326 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Saint Paul's Catholic Church Memorial Marker, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA

In downtown Norfolk, Virginia
Martin Building : 300 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Velvet Lounge : 332 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Madison Hotel : 345 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
The Fontaine Room : 345 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA