London museum

Talking type

Teachers notes What makes a stand out? What makes a font stand out? How do fronts tell us things about the words we are reading? Discover the story behind ’s iconic Johnston Font. Explore how are created, designed and chosen.

Follow our design brief to create a front of your own. You will use this as the title for a poem you will write, inspired by our Poems on the Underground program.

This activity can help your learners: • Learn about the iconic Johnston Font. • Explore methods for designing font • Discover new design terminology • Explore the Poems on the Underground • Communicate meaning through design I Johnston font Francis Pick, the Chief Executive at commissioned to create a brand new font in 1913. Johnston created the Johnston’s Standard Block Lettering for the Underground which has guided Londoners and visitors for over 100 years. Johnston also designed the famous ‘bullseye’ symbol, which today we know as the Roundel.

Pick was one of the first people to really think about ‘branding’. He wanted a bold and modern font not just to be the face of the Underground, but of London. He did not want the signage to be confused with advertising. He wanted a font that would make it easy to find stations and navigate through them, to help avoid accidents and communicate easily with people so that they had a pleasant experience using the . Johnstone font is sometimes Edward Johnston, typographer, 1902 called the first ‘people’s ’

Johnstone font is described as ‘the most revolutionary and inspirational of twentieth- century letterforms.’ What is it about this font ABCDEFGHI that makes that true? JKLMNOPQ The Johnston front, or typeface, is a sans font, meaning it has no extra parts or flourishes added. Rsruvwx However it has a few noticeable features that have a playful element that designers love. YZI?&{) The letter ‘o’ is almost a perfect circle l234567890 The lower case ‘l’ as a little flick, like a boot The dot on top on the ‘i’ and ‘j’ is a diamond, ABCDEFGHIJ rather than a circle sruvwxvzKLMNOPQR l234567890 &?l(),

London transport e museum ~ .*I~ ,,,. {> / ..

Poems on the Underground

Poems featured in Tube carriages have been Poems on the Underground highlights a big hit with the public. The project was classical, contemporary and international launched in 1986, following an idea from the work, by both famous and relatively American writer Judith Chernaik, to bring unknown poets. It has been a great success poetry to a wider audience. and has inspired similar schemes in cities around the world, from New York to The programme helps to make journeys Shanghai. It’s proved to be a great way more stimulating and inspiring by of introducing the public to poetry, with showcasing a range of poetry in Tube train passengers often wanting to read more. carriages across London. The poems are selected by Judith Chernaik and poets You can explore these here George Szirtes and Imtiaz Dharker. poemsontheunderground.org/

c.,all alHiator long-moUth. o 'I A' I galO lOR c,11.ll. allig~t,or sa..,-moutli 'Ii 10 cross River call J'l.lligflto1' pll:.sh_y-!Jlc;n1tli call alligat,r;,r .sd.ss"":rs-wo1tth. eall a_lligatal" ra.aglt'.OJ•Jt10U.dl Cell allisatol" bl,1m.pj'•l:r1l.Jl1 ca.11 allis;a.tor all delll Nd'l> ..roir,cl but beaer wail . (ill 'J~ cross J."lvsel"-

• .,... atps,:I r-1,~,;ir,i ~ llllmm- • c1-, •J..,..-,11 I _....,

Design brief

Your challenge Write a poem for Poem’s on the Underground that tells story about a journey you’ve taken. You’ll need to create your own unique font for the poem title that is inspired by the words.

Posters audience People travelling to work or school on the tube.

Poem’s purpose: To inspire people as they travel on the tube.

London transport to e museum yment I Activities

Activity 1: poem

Write a poem which says something about your life. The poem can be in any style you like but must be at least 5 lines.

Your poem could be about a place, or a journey. You might like to write about something you do everyday, or about a really special memory. You could write about a friend, a family member, or even a dream!

Activity 2: font design

Materials: • Tracing paper (and/or carbon paper) • Cut paper • Card • Scissors • Glue • Neoprene (if not you can experiment with cardboard or even another fabric) • Rollers • Water washable block printing ink or paint • Paper to print or draw final work onto

We want you to create your own font. You will use this font to create the title for the poem you have written.

Is it a poem about the sea – can you make the letters in the title look like waves? Is it a poem about a zoo – can you make the letters look like animals?

Think about what your font will tell people about your poem?

London transport e museum Our talking type livestream introduces some basic elements of typography and techniques based on traditional printing and Letterpress. You’ll be able to create your own printing blocks

For this process: 1. Cut your letters out of card, neoprene or fabric 2. Roll with ink or use a paintbrush to cover your letterpress in paint 3. Stamp out your title on your paper

If you are using the letterpress technique remember your letters will all need to be backwards.

Font’s purpose: To compliment your poem so that readers understand the tone and feeling of the poem. Explore the collection to see some examples from our collection about how other artists have used font to communicate their ideas.

Share your poems and fonts with us at #iheartltm

London transport to e museum yment I Explore the collection

loit.-Nbb.fr.llli!*k.Jlltiltif.t.lM' ~iX,6 &Plll;f~H'IF-;.rM~W~~$1bP1,JXAJ.•'"""*'1.i;l,i;,l,l'lilli~'SaiU1 miMIJ!JlliWtiidtfJl'w!Mftpatcrl l'IIIVl!tt.-W.;'tiltMII....,.,,.,.. ~ platform Pllifo,J,1,,.r.,N >hott. 1.~ hl'Uf'litNl'i~ •nt,c,at;rn:i,wr.d[~.«tt~tl'pr. art

MAYOR Transport ,of .LONDON for London e·------,·-

Ron’s eel and shellfish, by Bob and Roberta Smith, 2006 Every journey saved the traveller 30p, unknown, 2003

London transport to e museum yment ~ .*I~ 9 ,,,. {> / ..

11"1:-ark litd1n~r QI\ 10 W' V!'tltlMiJt~ "!*i, ~~ platform Co!~ tho i ...'11 'lil:n,;; c,6l )lo!, Vp,-S.,-, C "8r..oiwlc.r- a1rt MAYOR OF LONDON Transport for London e

Oh! to be weightless again, by Mark Titchner, 2003

London to transport e museum yment London after dark, by Andy Spencer, 2015

London transport to e museum yment ~ .*I~ ,,,. {> / ..

0i!lil1"'1- ru... v __ Mi<'INfik.-~. Ministry of Diss,ent le ~ et111Pil>t(. lt>MOitlord.111.0.i., W!!lll ,exp~o·res the rn.on-c:onformlst hlsto·ry of M'oorgate, the breach in the City wan that ~ed people to quake Fr00'1 Helll! to Hele - StMt!"'i lnsJ!]ked ii,' the Ore.le line s ~ - to 00/g~ zoos ~<-oljOO!II.Pl;,,""°')'Clmo1'>tmoon r"'"_,"".,..."'_,_ ,cwir.l,t-.zt ..... rfl.,,,.,.;,,/fhrt,1.,,,_.,.,~,r::t.dft•

26 ·'.~B

M~YOR.OF LONDON Transport for London e

Ministry of dissent, by Elise Valmorbida, Martina Fischmeister, Jermaine Mays, Bejal Patel, Tom O’Riordan, Davis Odelli, 2005

London to transport e museum yment there... Acton Town. . All Sair:its. Alperton. Amersham• .Angel Archway, Am,os Gro,ve Arsenal, Baker Street,, Bat.barn, Bank Barki~g. Barklngside. Barons Court. Be.ck.ton. Beckto·n Par,t. Bescont ee. Belslze Pa1rk. Be monds y, 18ethnal Green,. Blackfrlar:s, 181:.ackhoJ:S@ R,o,adl. Blackwall, Bond St r e • Borough. :Boston Manor. Bounds Green, Bow Chun;h. B1rent Cross, Br xton. Br"Omley;o by-:Bow~ r r . Bue ' hurst Hi l. Burnt Oak. Caledonian Road, o o Camden f(),wn., C nada Water Cana y harf. canning Town. r , C nons Pak; Chalfont & Latimer. Challk IF;arm, Chancery lane. Char ng Cross. ·Chesham. Chfgw,eU:, Chiswick Park. Chorleywood, Cla1pharn Common, Clapham North, Clapham S01.1:tlh. Cockf osters, corndale. Comers Wood, Covent •Garden, Crossharbour. Cro,xley. Custom House. Cutty Sark for Matitime Gr,eenwioh, Cyprus, !Dagenham East Da.genhan1 IHea,thway, Debden,

De1ptford B.ridge. Devons Road. 0ol ls H l. Eallng Broadway, :EaUng Common. Earl's Court, East Acton,, Eastcote, East Fin.chley. . r East India, East Put1n,ey. Edgware. Edgware Road. (Bake loo]1, ll!dgware Road [Cir<:le/Df,st mctlH&C}, Elephant & Castle, Elm Park. Elverson Ro·l!ld, EppJng, Euston. - Fairlop. r Finchley Central, Fln.ch,iey ;Road. , t • Ro d F n , Finsbur y Part. Fulham, 61roadway;, Gatllons Reach, Gants HUl. G'l,oucester Road. Goldets Green. I t Goodlge Street, l 1Grange HiU, Greenfordl Gree:nwic:h. Green Park. Gunner sbury. c I. Mainault , ,1 t1 Hamp1stead IHang;er Lane. Harlesden, Harrow & Weatdstone. Harrow-on-the-Hill, Hatton Cross. IHea,throw lermlnats 1. l . 3, Heathrow Termina1l 4.. Heathrow Terminal s. Hendon Central. iHeron Q,uays. Hiigh Barnet. Highbury & lsllngton. Highgate. HllUngdon, Holborn. Holland Par , Holloway iRoad. i o Hom church, Hounslow

1Centrat,. Hounsl,ow East. Houns ow We,st. Hyde IPitrk Cor1ne,r, llckenham, 'Island (i:ardens. Kien:nington,, Kens a Green, r Kensington (Olympia), Kentish Town. } ' l(;enton, Kew Gardens. Kilburn. Kl burn Park, Kingsbury. King's Cross St. Panciras. King George V. Kntghtsbridge, I Lambeth North. Lancaste Gate, 1 . in r, l Le ce.ster Square. Lewisham. Leyton, Leyt o" st one. 'Limehouse. 'London 8:ridge. Londori City Airport. Loughton. Malda1Vale , Manor House. Mansion Hous,e. Ma be Arch, Marylebone, Mlle End, Milli IHIU East. Monument, Moorgate,, Moor IPairk Morden,, Momington Crescent, Mudchute. Neasden, Newb ury Parle.. No t h Acton. North Ealing, 'Northfleltds, No h Greenw c • North Hlarr·ow N'0:1Fthh,ol , Nor h Wembley. Northwick Park Northwood Northwood Hills Otting Hitt Gate, 01:11kwood, Old Street, Osterley Q!;lal. Oxford Ctrcus. lPaddi,ngton. P-ark Ro,yaiL P,arsons, ·Gr,een, Perivale, Piccadilly Circus. PimUco. Pinner, Pon ·OOn Dock, Poplar. Preston Road. Prince Regent. Pudding MIU Lane,, !Putney Br"dge·. Queensbury Oueen·s Park. ,Queensway, Ravenscourt Park. Rayne rs Lane, Re.dibrldge. Regents Park. R C'l1mond, Rick1mcmsworth. Roding Valley. t Roya' A,lbert, Royal VlctorJia. Ruis :1p, llu sUp ,Gardens, Ruislip Manor. RusseU "Square,. St. Jame.s's Park. St. John's Wood, St. Paul's, Seven Sisters. Shepherd's Bush ~ • s, r Sloane Square, Snaresbrook South IEaUin,g, Southfield's,, Sout:hgate, South Harrow. South 'Kensington. South Kenton1. South auay. South Ru isUp, South ark, South W1lmbledon Sou h Woodford, Stamf.ord Brook Stanmore, n r Stockwell, Stoneb ldge Park S ratford, Sudbury HiU, Sud,bu ry lown, . s ss Cottage lheydon Bois, Tooting Bee. Tooting IBroadiw,ay, Tott nham Court Road. Tottenham HaLe, Totteddge & Whetstone Tower Gateway. Tower HiU , lufnell Park. Turnham Green. T11m1pike taine, Upminster Uprninster Bridge. Upney, Upton Park, Uxbridge. Vauxhall. Vktoria. Walthamstow Centra, Wanstead, Warr n Street, Warv,fc:1< Avenue, a oo W~tford Wembley Central, Wembl y Park. Wes Acton, West Brompt,o,n, Westferry. West Fwnch'ley; West Hampstead. West Harrow. West India ,Q.u1ay, W,est KensingtOn, West Ruisi p, West Silvertown. White Cty. w Hesden Gree • , Wimb ecton. Wlmb~edon !Park, Woodfo d Wood Green. Woodside Park, Woolwh: t, Atsenal.

_,..

Been there, by Conran Design Group, 2007

London to transport e museum yment Discover the secrets of the Underground, Hidden London, Strand (Aldwych) Station, by Gail Brodholt, 2020

London transport to e museum yment Zoo, by Abram Games, 1976

London transport to e museum yment LO 0 RA SPO T COACH TOU

from Waltham Cros od e do ~ ,e and H rtford to WHI ·s DE ZOO ig w 11 ~ Codicofie Kimpton_ and Dunstable Do, n... etum via rth _'l ar _ at ' t - ~ b ans and atfield R.~ni,m F re (•)/. R1!'turn Fa.-e 6/· Lca:"·e Dro.·bou n ••• 10. 0 111.m. H~tum 1'' u.-e 5/ - L~ve H dde don ... Io. s- •1111. e 5/· F ;e -1/9 L 1ve H .rlfm·d ... rn.2S :1. 111. Home bo111 7.45 p.m. \

Th tour starts on Sunday, 2 ·t ' a y

London Transport coach tour, by Hans Unger, 1950

London transport to e museum yment