If you’ve made it this far through the post, I should add that these animations in no way represent all German Christmas markets. These images were taken at a particularly tacky market that concerns itself more with drinking and rides (vs. those focused on drinking, eating, and shopping). You can find this crazy light show behind the Alexa shopping center for basically all of December (and maybe a bit into January) each year. For a considerably nicer/calmer/quieter experience simply walk a few hundred meters to the Fernsehturm/Alexanderplatz and check out the market in front of the Berlin Rathaus.

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

I visited Israel for the first time this summer to meet up with my friend Oded Ezer (more on our reasons for this visit later…). It was July, outside was a million degrees with a million percent humidy, but there were unlimited typographical treasures, plentiful air conditioning, and hummous that would blow your mind. Aside from the 10kg of weight I lost through sweating, it was an incredible trip and a great place to visit – maybe you’d like go during the slightly cooler months though.

Signs found in Rome – Part 1

]]> http://www.youshouldliketypetoo.com/showcase/nice-signs/more-signs-from-rome/feed/ 0 http://www.youshouldliketypetoo.com/showcase/nice-signs/chowda-heads-make-some-wicked-type/ http://www.youshouldliketypetoo.com/showcase/nice-signs/chowda-heads-make-some-wicked-type/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:09:50 +0000 Rob http://www.youshouldliketypetoo.com/?p=1698

Boston has it all! Well at least typographically speaking. There is everything from truly unique iron work numbers to inscriptions to old fading painted signs. Of course there are the usual standard things too, but here we are focusing on some of the more special bits.
 
Be sure to also check out the images from some Boston cemeteries here:

More signs found in Rome – Part 2

Last night the city of Berlin offered another special event: their 24th Museum Night – Lange Nacht der Museen. For one small price you get admission to most of the city’s museums from 6pm to 2am. This is a great opportunity to get out and see some of the remarkable collections and galleries here in Berlin.

One of the highlights, and certainly the most anticipated museum I wanted to visit, was the Buchstaben Museum. They are only open sporadically, so it is normally difficult to get an opportunity to stop by.

I was a bit surprised by the small space, but the up side to this was how every square meter was covered with old letters from signs. Large dimensional letters were standing, laying, leaning, hanging, and stacked throughout the two showrooms. The haphazard, jumbled arrangements made it a bit difficult to fully appreciate the signs and the lettering, but they are none-the-less beautiful and interesting. Personally, I am mostly into the nice letters, and less actually the history behind them; but whenever possible, the letters/signs have tags indicating where they came from, the typeface in use, and a little extra info. If you are more interested in some finer details of what is in this collection, Dan Reynolds has some images and font IDs up at his flickr and blog. That guy is crazy, he visited the museum, got home, and blogged about it before I was even there!

On a side note, the Buchstaben Museum reminds me quite a bit of the boneyard in Las Vegas Neon Museum – albeit a smaller, climate controlled, more sanitary version. Someday, we should all make the trek there because it looks incredible. Paul Hunt visited in 2008 and has some great photos in flickr.

 
Update:
 
Core 77 has many more great photos of the museum here

Part 2 of a collection of nice typographic examples in Berlin.

Berlin is full of typographic treats: grafitti, posters, shop signs, logos… Here is the first installment of some great local sights…

The Christmas markets are something I have really enjoyed these last two years in Germany. After the year in England, where the holidays came and went almost without notice, these markets always create a festive mood. Aside from some general carnival-like games and rides, they have an abundance of great fried and sugary food, and best of all hot spiced wine to help warm up.
 
Always on the lookout for type (equally interested in the bad as with the good), the Frankfurt Weihnachtsmarkt has plenty of typographic eye candy in addition to the culinary treats.

These handmade signs fit right in with Hoopeston’s annual Sweet Corn Festival in late August. For just a couple bucks you get admission to the festivities (an atmosphere like a state fair) and as much corn as you can eat. Serious digestive problems are guaranteed the next day. To clarify one of the above pictures, the sign announcing the “limit 6 ears per person” is only referring only to each time through the line. Shrewd patrons bring their own containers to hoard vast quantities of additional corn – for later at home of course. (It is never as good the next day though.)

After finishing the corn, be sure to stick around for the National SweetHeart Pageant which is just a few steps away from the big Miss America Pageant. But wait, there’s more! On top of all this you can also enjoy: a corn eating contest, flee market, raffle, petting zoo, pony and camel rides, beer tent, chili cook off in the beer tent, magician, hypnotist, teen dance, demolition derby, an autograph session, and an antique auto show!

Welcome to Central Illinois!