1940's script. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

crestavega · 6th Mar 2018, 12:38 pm

This is a diffficult question to phrase.
I am after an example of, or better still a name (I doubt there is one) of a style of script which is/was popular in the forces.

I cannot think exactly where now but I have seen this type of script on things like watertight doors and on old bunkers and around operational buildings, with messages like

"keep closed at sea"
"ready use ammo"
"no smoking"
"no step"
"emergency fifi equipment here"

you know the sort of thing.
The thing that makes this particular script memorable is that it appears to be written freehand (but with a paintbrush), it is I think always block capitals, has a slight forward-leaning slant, and has a sort of informal appearance. (which in itself is perhaps unexpected in a forces context)

the closest example I have googled thus far is the "Arf A Mo" on a National Service Needs You poster.

objective here is to simulate the look and feel for a small museum

Station X · 6th Mar 2018, 1:38 pm

There are plenty of pictures of this sort of lettering on the 'net.

Looking at it, it's pretty obvious that the lettering has been applied with a stencil, as the bridges holding in the centres of letters such a O, P and R can be clearly be seen.

I have a modern set of these letter and figure stencils, but the characters are only about 1/2" high.

David Simpson · 6th Mar 2018, 3:37 pm

As Graham rightly says, stencils were used - certainly back in my RAF days. Mind you, every RAF Station used to have their own RAF Joiners & painters. For bespoke work - such as "Officers Mess" or Squadron CO's Office" or "Airmen's Mess" Plaques & Boards - I've seen them being painted or touched up freehand by skilled painters.

Regards, David

YoungManGW · 6th Mar 2018, 4:46 pm

The font Signboard is fairly close.

Regards,
Richard

Station X · 6th Mar 2018, 4:52 pm

I was thinking more of something like this, But I guess the OP can advise:-

https://www.***********/photos/24003920@N07/8470658321

emeritus · 6th Mar 2018, 5:12 pm

Stencils would probably have been made using a commercial stencil cutting machine like the one I used during a summer job at Jeyes in the 1960's. From memory it used sheets of a brown plastic material about 12" x 15" and you cut one letter at a time. The machine automatically indexed itself to the next position in the manner of a typewriter. I had a self-inking roller that used a spirit-based fast-drying ink to do the actual lettering. I had to cut the stencils for boxes of export consignments of toiletries, the furthest-flung being to the British Antarctic Survey at the South Pole. It was invaluable experience in how to pack things properly.

ms660 · 6th Mar 2018, 5:20 pm

Ludlow (1937)

ATF (1937)

Tea Chest (1939)

One of them might do (year in brackets)

Lawrence.

M0FYA Andy · 6th Mar 2018, 5:45 pm

I'm not sure any of the suggestions are correct, if I'm thinking along the right lines.
I spent my career working at Warton Aerodrome, starting in 1974. In my early years there were lots of hand-painted signs and notices in the hangars, a lot of which may have dated back to the 50's or 60's if not wartime. They had a very attractive character to them, at least to me. They weren't stencilled and I think were hand painted by a skilled sign-writer. Over the years they gradually disappeared as the site was modernised (and lost its character along the way..............)
Andy

6th Mar 2018, 7:51 pm

How about https://www.euroffice.co.uk/product/...gL-XfD_BwE&s=1

M0FYA Andy · 6th Mar 2018, 8:37 pm

I don't believe the OP is looking for a stencil.............

paulsherwin · 6th Mar 2018, 8:43 pm

The Gill Sans font and close relatives was very widely used in government from the 30s to the 50s, and hand drawn text written by signwriters is likely to have been based on it. It was used by British Railways until the switch to Rail Alphabet in 1965.

Jon_G4MDC · 6th Mar 2018, 10:45 pm

I had to check that Tea Chest (1939) was for real.
It is. Amazing.

crestavega · 6th Mar 2018, 11:12 pm

Gill Sans could be the basis, this is certainly the right period, and there appears to be a variant of it (italics-ish), upon which the script I am thinking of may be based.
I am beginning to think that what I'm after is probably just the acme of a freehand signwriting craftsman, indeed.

it's definitely NOT a stencil. (though many of these signs are appropriate to stencil)

M0FYA, I think you have it: the signage I am thinking of does indeed have an attractive "matey" character, yet it is also consistent.

the attached poster is as close to the script as I've found so far, M0FYA does this ring the bell?

crestavega · 6th Mar 2018, 11:22 pm

Gill Sans is Very nice.
amazing how much baggage a typeface can carry. I mean, you can almost smell the pipesmoke.

michamoo · 6th Mar 2018, 11:29 pm

Is this the font you were thinking?

crestavega · 6th Mar 2018, 11:35 pm

michamoo, thx, broadly yes. the specific script I am thinking of is more compressed however, and is I am sure caps only.
I wish I could think where I last saw it, I think it might have been on a Landing Craft of Falklands vintage.
red script on a white backgrd springs to mind.

joebog1 · 6th Mar 2018, 11:53 pm

https://www.dafont.com/

That might help. Its all free but takes hours of looking.

Joe

paulsherwin · 7th Mar 2018, 12:32 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by michamoo

Is this the font you were thinking?

It's a casual script font, a bit like the notorious Microsoft Comic Sans. Back in the 40s these fonts were normally drawn by graphic artists and signwriters rather than being printed using cold metal type.

The more formal "CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES" below appears to be Gill Sans, though the spacing is rather wide and it may well have been hand drawn too.

G3VKM_Roger · 7th Mar 2018, 8:34 am

This WW2 replica sign was on sale in the IWM shop at Duxford.

Cheers

Roger

crestavega · 7th Mar 2018, 10:14 am

joebog1, thanks for that, amazing resource.
Michamoo, on playing about with that script from Careless Talk Costs Lives poster, I am now pretty sure that's the one I want.
Unfortunately, as I am not a professional signwriter and have no immediate plans to become, I now need to find an off-the-peg font to match that!
thanks vy much for all help

6th Mar 2018, 12:38 pm	#1
crestavega Pentode Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK. Posts: 165	1940's script. This is a diffficult question to phrase. I am after an example of, or better still a name (I doubt there is one) of a style of script which is/was popular in the forces. I cannot think exactly where now but I have seen this type of script on things like watertight doors and on old bunkers and around operational buildings, with messages like "keep closed at sea" "ready use ammo" "no smoking" "no step" "emergency fifi equipment here" you know the sort of thing. The thing that makes this particular script memorable is that it appears to be written freehand (but with a paintbrush), it is I think always block capitals, has a slight forward-leaning slant, and has a sort of informal appearance. (which in itself is perhaps unexpected in a forces context) the closest example I have googled thus far is the "Arf A Mo" on a National Service Needs You poster. objective here is to simulate the look and feel for a small museum

6th Mar 2018, 1:38 pm	#2
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,288	Re: 1940's script. There are plenty of pictures of this sort of lettering on the 'net. Looking at it, it's pretty obvious that the lettering has been applied with a stencil, as the bridges holding in the centres of letters such a O, P and R can be clearly be seen. I have a modern set of these letter and figure stencils, but the characters are only about 1/2" high. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

6th Mar 2018, 3:37 pm	#3
David Simpson Nonode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Aberdeen, UK. Posts: 2,853	Re: 1940's script. As Graham rightly says, stencils were used - certainly back in my RAF days. Mind you, every RAF Station used to have their own RAF Joiners & painters. For bespoke work - such as "Officers Mess" or Squadron CO's Office" or "Airmen's Mess" Plaques & Boards - I've seen them being painted or touched up freehand by skilled painters. Regards, David

6th Mar 2018, 4:46 pm	#4
YoungManGW Hexode Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK. Posts: 408	Re: 1940's script. The font Signboard is fairly close. Regards, Richard Attached Thumbnails

6th Mar 2018, 4:52 pm	#5
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,288	Re: 1940's script. I was thinking more of something like this, But I guess the OP can advise:- https://www.***********/photos/24003920@N07/8470658321 __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

6th Mar 2018, 5:12 pm	#6
emeritus Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK. Posts: 5,337	Re: 1940's script. Stencils would probably have been made using a commercial stencil cutting machine like the one I used during a summer job at Jeyes in the 1960's. From memory it used sheets of a brown plastic material about 12" x 15" and you cut one letter at a time. The machine automatically indexed itself to the next position in the manner of a typewriter. I had a self-inking roller that used a spirit-based fast-drying ink to do the actual lettering. I had to cut the stencils for boxes of export consignments of toiletries, the furthest-flung being to the British Antarctic Survey at the South Pole. It was invaluable experience in how to pack things properly.

6th Mar 2018, 5:20 pm	#7
ms660 Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 13,454	Re: 1940's script. Ludlow (1937) ATF (1937) Tea Chest (1939) One of them might do (year in brackets) Lawrence.

6th Mar 2018, 5:45 pm	#8
M0FYA Andy Nonode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 2,511	Re: 1940's script. I'm not sure any of the suggestions are correct, if I'm thinking along the right lines. I spent my career working at Warton Aerodrome, starting in 1974. In my early years there were lots of hand-painted signs and notices in the hangars, a lot of which may have dated back to the 50's or 60's if not wartime. They had a very attractive character to them, at least to me. They weren't stencilled and I think were hand painted by a skilled sign-writer. Over the years they gradually disappeared as the site was modernised (and lost its character along the way..............) Andy

6th Mar 2018, 7:51 pm	#9
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: 1940's script. How about https://www.euroffice.co.uk/product/...gL-XfD_BwE&s=1

6th Mar 2018, 8:37 pm	#10
M0FYA Andy Nonode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 2,511	Re: 1940's script. I don't believe the OP is looking for a stencil.............

6th Mar 2018, 8:43 pm	#11
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,940	Re: 1940's script. The Gill Sans font and close relatives was very widely used in government from the 30s to the 50s, and hand drawn text written by signwriters is likely to have been based on it. It was used by British Railways until the switch to Rail Alphabet in 1965.

6th Mar 2018, 10:45 pm	#12
Jon_G4MDC Nonode Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 2,015	Re: 1940's script. I had to check that Tea Chest (1939) was for real. It is. Amazing.

6th Mar 2018, 11:12 pm	#13
crestavega Pentode Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK. Posts: 165	Re: 1940's script. Gill Sans could be the basis, this is certainly the right period, and there appears to be a variant of it (italics-ish), upon which the script I am thinking of may be based. I am beginning to think that what I'm after is probably just the acme of a freehand signwriting craftsman, indeed. it's definitely NOT a stencil. (though many of these signs are appropriate to stencil) M0FYA, I think you have it: the signage I am thinking of does indeed have an attractive "matey" character, yet it is also consistent. the attached poster is as close to the script as I've found so far, M0FYA does this ring the bell? Attached Thumbnails

6th Mar 2018, 11:22 pm	#14
crestavega Pentode Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK. Posts: 165	Re: 1940's script. Gill Sans is Very nice. amazing how much baggage a typeface can carry. I mean, you can almost smell the pipesmoke.

6th Mar 2018, 11:29 pm	#15
michamoo Hexode Join Date: May 2006 Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK. Posts: 469	Re: 1940's script. Is this the font you were thinking? Attached Thumbnails __________________ If smoking is so bad for you, how come it cures kippers?

6th Mar 2018, 11:35 pm	#16
crestavega Pentode Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK. Posts: 165	Re: 1940's script. michamoo, thx, broadly yes. the specific script I am thinking of is more compressed however, and is I am sure caps only. I wish I could think where I last saw it, I think it might have been on a Landing Craft of Falklands vintage. red script on a white backgrd springs to mind.

6th Mar 2018, 11:53 pm	#17
joebog1 Banned Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,704	Re: 1940's script. https://www.dafont.com/ That might help. Its all free but takes hours of looking. Joe

7th Mar 2018, 8:34 am	#19
G3VKM_Roger Heptode Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Southeast Norfolk, UK. Posts: 773	Re: 1940's script. This WW2 replica sign was on sale in the IWM shop at Duxford. Cheers Roger Attached Thumbnails

7th Mar 2018, 10:14 am	#20
crestavega Pentode Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK. Posts: 165	Re: 1940's script. joebog1, thanks for that, amazing resource. Michamoo, on playing about with that script from Careless Talk Costs Lives poster, I am now pretty sure that's the one I want. Unfortunately, as I am not a professional signwriter and have no immediate plans to become, I now need to find an off-the-peg font to match that! thanks vy much for all help