Rival German designers were creating groundbreaking designs the British feared would infiltrate their industry as a form of clandestine cultural invasion. Imperialist expansion and industry were the two key causes of the war and Britain felt a pressing need to stay ahead of German innovation. Everybody during the Great War was called upon to join the war effort and Johnston did just that. To answer that, we must look closely at the influences Johnston drew upon to design his typography and the historical context of its creation. Unveiled in 1916, the new look Underground signs were a resounding success, but what exactly were the political dimensions of the typeface? Pick turned to Johnston and the typographer delivered, creating everything from the innovative typeface to the now iconic visual form of the signage, a blue route bar travelling through a red circle. ![]() In 1913, Frank Pick of London Transport decided the London Underground required an integrated design scheme that was both radical and wholly of the time. A strong example of this form of typography is Johnston Sans, or Underground Railway Block-Letter, created by Edward Johnston for the London Underground system during the Great War of 1914-1919. ![]() Typography plays a vital role within the urban landscape, informing the citizens of major cities where they are and need to go, delivering a message through type that often captures the character of the city. Restyling the Underground: Edward Johnston’s Iconic London Letters Tracing their unique forms can provide a picture of the historical and political chapters that collectively tell our story. Typography doesn’t exist in a vacuum, the letters often powerfully evoke specific times and places and can help us come to a clearer understanding of significant cultural changes. The following examples demonstrate how the combination of typographical innovation and historical and political perspectives gave birth to new typefaces delivering important messages that arose from the complex zeitgeist of each given period. Gutenberg’s press later enabled the writings of Martin Luther to be disseminated, changing the religious and political contours of our world forever. From its very inception, the Blackletter Johannes Gutenberg used for his 42-line Bible (c.1455), typography had a seismic historical and political impact. There has always been a profound historical and political dimension to typography. While the use, context and meaning of different typefaces often changes over time, we would be doing a great disservice to the pioneering typographers of the past if we forgot the true origins and aims of the influential forms of type that have become milestones in graphic design’s rich history.
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