Underground lettering before 1933

A joint lecture providing an overview of the consistent and creative use of lettering across early underground rail networks prior to the emergence of the now familiar Johnston-driven corporate identity. This event was part of the anniversary celebrations of the Johnston typeface hosted by London Transport Museum.

The Edward Johnston talk series London’s timeless and iconic lettering – the Johnston typeface – was created a century ago for London Underground and since its introduction it has come to represent not just transport but the idea of London. London Transport Museum is marking the 100th anniversary of its introduction to London’s landscape with a number of events including a series of talks, a special Museum Depot Open Weekend, and behind the scenes Johnston Journey tours.

This series is part of the Transported by Design season, a programme exploring the history and future of great design and how it can affect our journey experience.

London’s first fonts
10 May 2016
Join graphic designers, authors and Central Saint Martins’ academics Phil Baines and Catherine Dixon to explore the importance of lettering to the identity of the early underground railway companies. Discover what underground railways and stations looked like before the introduction of the Johnston typeface and find out more about the impact of his font on the look and feel of London travel over the last century.

(Source: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/visit/plan-your-visit/access-and-facilities/109-uncategorised)