The Métropolitain – Paris’ rapid transit metro system – has 245 different stations within 34 square miles of Paris, many of them exhibiting unique interiors that set them apart from the rest. I had the opportunity to witness this firsthand on a recent trip to Paris several weeks ago.
Abbesses – Its chipped tiled type contrasts well with these round yellow chairs that could have been pulled straight from a Herman Miller catalog.
Concorde – A 100+ year old stop with a grid of letters spelling out the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a fundamental document of the French Revolution (wall of type=revolutionary idea).
The Métro signs at each entrance also differed from each other at different stops. These variations were not nearly as widespread, however, and their usage seemed random and non-specific to location. I did some research to find out why.
This is one of the 83 original surviving art nouveau entrances and is seen as an iconic symbol of Paris. It was designed by Hector Guimard in 1900 and its style caused much surprise and controversy. This is the primary stop we used on our trip (Abbesses) and it’s also one of the three remaining entrances with a more elaborate glass canopy.
This simpler version, a metal balustrade accompanying a “Métro” sign crowned by a spherical lamp, could be found in early stations around 1910.
This one has a similar type treatment to the previous, but is simplified even more with its stronger sans serif lettering placed onto a stone wall.
Signposts with just an “M” have become the norm since the 1970′s to present.
To see more pictures from the trip, check out my Flickr feed.
I see the typeface “Hobo” in a lot of different places — labels, signs, posters, logos – the list goes on. I once thought that this was one of the ugliest type designs out there, but I now realize that it’s not the design itself, or even the terrible name — it’s mostly because of how it’s used and misused. Of all the type crimes out there (thank you Ellen Lupton: http://www.thinkingwithtype.com/contents/extras/#Type_Crimes), you’ll often find Hobo as a nearby accomplice. And I’ve certainly made my jokes about this “awful” typeface over the years, but once I studied the origin and the history of this design, I’ve become much less critical.
Stylistically, Hobo looks like something crafted from 1970′s, but was actually designed in 1910 towards the end of the Art Noveau Movement. It was designed by Morris Fuller Benton, one of America’s most prolific typeface designers. After closer examination, the letters are actually well-proportioned (when typeset properly) — every part of each letter is curved, which gives it a decorative effect, but with a modern twist. It’s lowercase letters are unique — descenders that do not drop below the baseline. Yeah, it’s weird — but it’s designed to be a display type. Fairly progressive for 1910, considering that most typography from that period was very decorative and ornate.
So I’m no longer a Hobo-hater. I just hate seeing it being misused.
Note: If you’ve seen examples of Hobo type out there (good or bad), please send some pics my way – I’m starting a collection of images and would love to include yours! Thanks.
The oldest use of Hobo I've ever seen!
Type Crime!
