2010 September 01 • Wednesday

Why isn't it Helvetica? Well, the tail on the lower-case a looks a bit shorter. But what I always look for is the lower-case e. The end of the e should come up and be parallel to the center horizontal. This I know from watching the entertaining movie Helvetica.

I look for that lower-case e whenever I'm on the subway here in New York City. Helvetica-spotting is fun.

Actually the e parallels don't look quite right there. But what about this?

As you can see, the bottom end of the e definitely does not create a parallel with the center horizontal line. It doesn't here, either.

Here are two signs from the same station.

So what's going on?

It turns out that while the movie Helvetica gives the impression that Helvetica is the font of the New York City subway, Standard was the font chosen by the design firm Unimark and the New York City Transit Authority.

I think.

You can read a long and interesting essay about it by graphic designer and historian Paul Shaw here at AIGA's site.

He also wrote a book about it, Helvetica and the New York Subway System: The True (Maybe) Story limited to 500 copies and now sold out.

I'd like to read it. The Type Directors Club gave it a Certificate of Typographic Excellence.


Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

APPEARANCES

Not now.

CDs:


Submarine Pictures
Rob Price
Reuben Radding
Matt Moran


I Really Do Not See The Signal
Rob Price
Ellery Eskelin
Trevor Dunn
Jim Black


Get Lost
Rob Price
David Grollman


At Sunset
Rob Price
Ellery Eskelin
Trevor Dunn
Joey Baron


Providence
Mr. Dorgon
Laura Cromwell


Blue Punctilios
Combination No. 10
Rob Price
Victor Rice
Ara Babajian

http://www.amazon.com/Cawthray-price-zankowski/dp/B0017KQ4LG/ref=sr_f3_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1208606374&sr=103-1
(download)
CPZ
Chris Cawthray
Rob Price
Ed Zankowski

Alice Bierhorst
Joey Baron
Sandy Bell
Martin Bisi
Jim Black
Shelley Burgon
Chris Cawthray
Jason Crigler
Laura Cromwell
Andrew D'Angelo
Jonathan Dixon
Mr. Dorgon
Trevor Dunn
Ellery Eskelin
Lee Feldman
Scott Friedlander
Pete Galub
Greta Gertler
Jen Gilleran
Michael Gomez
Curtis Hasselbring
Head vs. Wall
Dan Hewins
Chesley Hicks
Kayt Hoch
Jeff Kaiser
Wayne Kral
Briggan Krauss
Valerie Kuehne
Woody Mann
Rebecca Martin
Lucio Menegon
John Mettam
Matt Moran
Now's the Time
Andy O'Neill
Ed Price
Reuben Radding
Ted Reichman
Scrote
Tom Shad
Elliott Sharp
Ches Smith

Ark Square
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Black Hole Reviews
Blind Tiger Ale House
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Curtis Hasselbring
Rob Price
Ches Smith
Trevor Dunn
Shelley Burgon
(photo by Alice Bierhorst)


Rob Price
Jim Black
Trevor Dunn
Ellery Eskelin
(photo by Scott Friedlander)


Rob Price
Chris Cawthray
Ed Zankowski
(photo by by Seven Stock)


Rob Price
David Grollman
(photo by Alice Bierhorst)

Rob Price is on other CDs:


Dexter Price
Alice Bierhorst


The Magic Lantern
Alice Bierhorst


Jubilee
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Sonic Demons
Lucio Menegon


Smell the Glove
Mr. Dorgon


Da Whole Thing
Tooth


Dim Sum Clip Job
Harmolodic Jeopardy


Game of Death
Reprisal