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Remastering London Undergrounds’ Iconic Typeface

2016 marks 100 years of Edward Johnston’s typeface which binds together the visual identity of London’s transport network. Described as the ‘typographic voice of London’ Johnston’s typeface has remained largely the same for the last century, used throughout Transport for London’s signage, posters and architecture.

The expansion of London’s transport system places new demands on the typeface, from station maps to mobile apps, requiring the design to be expanded and updated. This had to be done without compromising on Johnston’s originals intentions.

Monotype was commissioned by Transport for London (TfL) to remaster their Johnston typeface. Monotype designers Malou Verlomme and Nadine Chahine worked closely with Jon Hunter, Head of Design at TfL to remaster the Johnston typeface for digital use and expand it to five weights. 

“Our brief to Monotype was to go back to the original principles of Johnston, to reflect on the way the font is now, and see what we might have lost in its 100-year journey,” said TfL Head of Design Jon Hunter.

An original drawing of Johnston from February 1916

Some examples of original and remastered glyphs:

The new Johnston100 family includes five weights of the design, including two brand new weights: Hairline and Thin. The result, especially the Hairline, is contemporary in flavour without undermining the characteristics that make it recognisable.

Johnston100 will be rolled out by TfL starting July 2016. Initially it will be used for printed material such as tube maps and posters, but over time the typeface will be used within TfL’s trains and station signage, including London’s new Crossrail Elizabeth Line – scheduled to open in 2018.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE | 1880s

African American settler family, unidentified location, circa 1880s. [Click Image To Enlarge]

Ghanaian artist Jeremiah Quarshie finds the inspiration for his paintings in his immediate environment. Living and working in Accra, the capital of Ghana, his hyper-realistic acrylic portraits depict models, typically ordinary women, in roles of beauty queens, businesswomen, and laborers alike. In his own words, the people in his portraits are characters representing the “foundations of society into pools of utter elegance”, 21st century workers and fictional women. 

The WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flew noncombat and training missions for the US during WW2, but were not afforded honors such as burials in military cemeteries – until now.

They flew over 60 million miles, in every type of military aircraft. They suffered 38 losses. Their members included trailblazers like previously-covered Maggie Gee (who, undeterred by how difficult this was, went on to become a nuclear physicist).