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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment. |
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6th Mar 2018, 12:38 pm | #1 |
Pentode
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK.
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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 |
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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.
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6th Mar 2018, 3:37 pm | #3 |
Nonode
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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 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Re: 1940's script.
The font Signboard is fairly close.
Regards, Richard |
6th Mar 2018, 4:52 pm | #5 |
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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
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6th Mar 2018, 5:12 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
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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.
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6th Mar 2018, 5:20 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
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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 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
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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 |
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Re: 1940's script.
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6th Mar 2018, 8:37 pm | #10 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
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Re: 1940's script.
I don't believe the OP is looking for a stencil.............
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6th Mar 2018, 8:43 pm | #11 |
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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.
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6th Mar 2018, 10:45 pm | #12 |
Nonode
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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 |
Pentode
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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? |
6th Mar 2018, 11:22 pm | #14 |
Pentode
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK.
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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 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
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Re: 1940's script.
Is this the font you were thinking?
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6th Mar 2018, 11:35 pm | #16 |
Pentode
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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 |
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Re: 1940's script.
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7th Mar 2018, 12:32 am | #18 |
Moderator
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Re: 1940's script.
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. |
7th Mar 2018, 8:34 am | #19 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southeast Norfolk, UK.
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Re: 1940's script.
This WW2 replica sign was on sale in the IWM shop at Duxford.
Cheers Roger |
7th Mar 2018, 10:14 am | #20 |
Pentode
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, UK.
Posts: 165
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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 |