Vernacular Typography 1 - Estate Office

As promised, I am recording examples of vernacular typography during my weekly trips to Bantry.

First, some explanation. I grew up with hand lettering all around me. My Father was a 'Commercial Artist' (he would be a 'Designer' today) producing package designs for a company that manufactured metal toys, mostly Cowboy guns, with the 'Lone Star' brand. All his work was hand painted and I was in awe of his ability to make well-formed letter shapes using only a sable brush loaded with paint.

I learnt typography in the 1960's when it was about metal type, assembled by hand and manually printed. (Yes I know there were machines but they were only for commercial processes) - so no computers and only limited availability of 'Letraset' (dry-transfer lettering) which was too expensive and too small to be of much use. But the teaching of hand-drawn lettering was only thought of as a way to understand the history of letter forms so I never developed the skill myself. There was also an attitude that it was a 'trade' rather than a 'profession' and so somehow inappropriate for highbrow Art School.

Most lettering today is produced digitally or is based on digital letter forms that are so readily available. So my definition of 'vernacular' is lettering in public places produced by hand. It has a strong tradition in Ireland but it's disappearing fast.

The first example (I am moving from one side of the town to the other on my quest) is, as it says, the estate office for Bantry House. Now vacant and recently painted over I imagine the wood cut letters were once emphasised with a dark colour.

These are well drawn letters - formal and assertive. The 'A' is masterfully extended to fill the visual space between the 'T's and the overall spacing is perfect for the width of the frontage. The 'O' fails to claim its space (a common fault caused by not giving it extra height), but otherwise this does its job confidently. And the crowning glory? The completely redundant but emphatic full stop. It adds to the authority of the message - This is THE Estate Office - make no mistake!