Helvetica and the new york city subway system pdf

The almost true story of nycs subway helvetica brain pickings. Pdf history of architecture and urbanism in new york. New utrecht av n 18 av 20 av bay pkwy n kings hwy n avenue u n 86 st n 62 st d 71 st d77 st 79 st d 18 av d20 av bay pkwy d d 25 av d. New york city subway map designed by tommi moilanen.

City street map of new york city, new york laminated folding pocket size city travel and subway map, 2016 edition popup map helvetica and the new york city subway system. But one of those stories tells how a european designerwith his business partneroverhauled the entire nyc subway system, and made it what it is today. Oct 29, 2018 18 nov there is a commonly held belief that helvetica is the signage typeface of the new york city subway system, a belief reinforced by helvetica. Read helvetica and the new york city subway system online, read in mobile or kindle. Occasional train delay aside, you might never look at riding the subway in the same way ever again. Mar 31, 2011 in the ambitious and highly readable helvetica and the new york city subway system. Inspired by londons underground map designed by harry beck in 1933which, in turn, was inspired by electrical circuit diagramsvignelli simplified new yorks complex subway system into a clean. In his typographic notes from the underground paul shaw has done an invaluable service by chronicling the history of helvetica in the nyc subway system. Helvetica and the new york city subway system by poggenpohl. The films provocative, lively interviews with graphic designers and theorists including massimo vignelli, who created directional signs for the new york city subway system, and david carson.

Signed by massimo vinelli, the communication identity of the transit system is much more simple than before, and more effective. Helvetica is commonly used in transportation settings. The new york city subway is a rapid transit system owned by the city of new york and leased to the new york city transit authority, a subsidiary agency of the staterun metropolitan transportation authority mta. The 1970s nyc transit authority graphic standards manual is back. In the european union, helvetica is legally required to be used for health warnings on tobacco products such as e. The mostly true story of helvetica and the new york city subway. Pdf on apr 7, 2018, peter lloyd and others published diagrammatic maps of. How helvetica took over the subway the new york times. The current new york subway system was formed in 1940 when the irt interborough rapid transit, the bmt brooklynmanhattan transit and. Graphic design legend massimo vignellis nyc subway design. There is a commonly held belief that helvetica is the signage typeface of the new york city subway system, a belief reinforced by helvetica, gary hustwits popular 2007 documentary about the typeface. Historian, typography obsessive and author of helvetica and the new york city subway system, paul shaw leads this verbal tour of the nyc subway systems journey from a stylistic babel to helvetica. Long before helvetica became the defacto typeface of the new york city subway system, there was a mixture of elaborate tile mosaics, enamel, and hand painted signage.

How new york city subways signage evolved from a visual mess to a uniform system with helvetica triumphant. Architectural treatment of stations on the dual system of rapid. Shaw, p helvetica and the new york city subway system. Helvetica and the new york city subway system the mit press. New york citys metropolitan transportation authority mta adopted helvetica for use in signage in 1989. Sep 12, 2007 the films provocative, lively interviews with graphic designers and theorists including massimo vignelli, who created directional signs for the new york city subway system, and david carson. Helvetica and the new york city subway system by paul shaw. Oct 01, 2017 buy on amazon helvetica and the new york city subway system by paul shaw. The book has been awarded a certificate of typographic excellence by the type directors club and will appear their 56th awards exhibition and their annual typography 31. Download helvetica and the new york city subway system ebook free in pdf and epub format. Helvetica and the new york city subway system fonts in use. Design and culture the journal of the design studies. New york city s subway lettering may seem blunt and functional by comparison, yet it inspires its own share of passion, as paul shaw demonstrates in helvetica and the new york city subway system.

From 1970 to 1989, the standard font was standard medium, an american release of akzidenzgrotesk, as defined by unimarks new york. Download full map as pdf t he new york city subway signage is considered iconic. New york city s metropolitan transportation authority mta adopted helvetica for use in signage in 1989. A novel definitely maybe neversink ghosts of america 12 maybe he was an angel the bad guys won. Before 1940, the subway system was made up of three companies. Helvetica and the new york city subway system paul shaw. Helvetica and the new york city subway system on vimeo. Pdf history of architecture and urbanism in new york city. There is a common belief, reinforced by gary hustwits documentary film helvetica, that helvetica is the signage typeface of the new york city subway system.

Type and national identity and the author of helvetica and the new york city subway system mit press. Jan 19, 2017 the entire history of the new york city subway system would need its own bookshelf. As much a design treat as it is an exercise in understanding the. The new york city subway map is an anomaly among subway maps around the world, in that it shows city streets, parks, and neighborhoods juxtaposed among curved subway lines, whereas other subway maps like the london underground map do not show such aboveground features and show subway lines as straight and at 45 or 90degree angles.

Buy on amazon helvetica and the new york city subway system by paul shaw. The vignelli subway map goes digital the new yorker. Helvetica and the new york city subway system paul shaw cambridge, ma. Pdf helvetica and the new york city subway system download.

The almost true story of nycs subway helvetica brain. Helvetica and the new york city subway system is a muchneeded resource for design historians who are inclined towards the study of the ongoing history of the rationalization of public space. The true maybe story, graphic designer and calligrapher paul shaw unravels this fascinating typographic changeover in an absorbing narrative augmented with over 250 photographs, sketches, type samples and original documents. The original mosaics dating from as early as 1904, displaying a variety of serif an. Historian, typography obsessive and author of helvetica and the new york city subway system, paul shaw leads this verbal tour of the nyc subway system s journey from a stylistic babel to helvetica. Opened in 1904, the new york city subway is one of the worlds oldest public transit systems, one of the worlds most used metro systems, and the metro system with the most stations. Helvetica and the new york city subway system was printed in a 500 copy limited edition run which is now sold out. There is a common belief, reinforced by gary hustwit s documentary film helvetica, that helvetica is the signage typeface of the new york city subway system. Oct 23, 2015 new york city subway map designed by tommi moilanen.

Dec 04, 2008 it was the letter j that opened the door for helvetica into the subways. The new york city subway map redesigned tommi moilanen medium. A book with 260 fullcolor illustrations offers an intriguing history of how the chaotic hodgepodge of signs littering the new york city subway system was standardized thanks in part to. From 1966 on, the new york city subway visual identity has been following the design style pictured above, on fig. Shaw describes the slow typographic changeover supplementing his text with more than 250 imagesphotographs, sketches, type samples, and documents. History of new york subway book global history blog. The original mosaics dating from as early as 1904, displaying a variety of serif and sans serif letters and decorative. Wed like you to come up with a new design for new yorks subway map. He places this signage evolution in the context of the history of the new york city subway system, of 1960s transportation signage, of unimark international, and of helvetica itself. For years, the signs in the new york city subway system were a bewildering hodgepodge of lettering styles, sizes, shapes, materials, colors, and messages.

The true maybe story mit press subway adventure guide. Sep 23, 2011 for most of the nineteenseventies, the official route map of the new york city subway system was a beautiful thing. New york citys subway lettering may seem blunt and functional by comparison, yet it inspires its own share of passion, as paul shaw demonstrates in helvetica and the new york city subway system. Nov 04, 2018 18 nov there is a commonly held belief that helvetica is the signage typeface of the new york city subway system, a belief reinforced by helvetica. Vickers was the lead architect from 1908 to 1942 and was responsible for designing the stations of the city owned ind system, which, along with. The mostly true story of helvetica and the new york city. The new york city subway in fascinating facts and figures. Helvetica is the official typeface of the mta today, but it was not the typeface specified by unimark international when it created a new. It documents the material organization of an urban technology and its information interface. Today, helvetica a 1950sera typeface that has gained fame and popularity because of its versatility is the official standard in the new york city transit system. Helvetica and the new york city subway system is a limited edition book an expanded, annotated and profusely illustrated version of the acclaimed essay.

From 1970 to 1989, the standard font was standard medium, an american release of akzidenzgrotesk, as. The culture gabfest weekly endorsements, julia turners book pick. Review of helvetica and the new york city subway system. But it is not trueor rather, it is only somewhat true.

For most of the nineteenseventies, the official route map of the new york city subway system was a beautiful thing. Helvetica and the new york city subway system 2010. Railroad book a history of the new york subway system 3. Nov 18, 2008 given how much the new york city subway sign system owes to noordas work in milan it is very likely that the choice of standard in 1966 was his, and that vignelli readily acquiesced because helvetica was, for whatever technical reason, not available to the taand the sign system was more important than the specific face used. The 1970s nyc subway graphic standards manual is back.

Interborough rapid transit irt, brooklyn manhattan transit bmt, and independent subway system ind. Examples of fonts in use tagged with new york subway. Feb 11, 2011 how new york city subways signage evolved from a visual mess to a uniform system with helvetica triumphant. Praise for paul shaw and helvetica and the new york city subway system from some of the leading figures in graphic design and typography steven heller, cofounder and cochair of the mfa designer as author program, sva. York st f city hall r rector st r franklin st 1 canal st 1. The designer or codesigner of eighteen typefaces, he is the coauthor of blackletter. Vignellis nowclassic new york city subway map was first introduced in 1972, following his work on the signage system in the late 1960s. Pdf download helvetica and the new york city subway. It takes into account new information and is supplemented by comprehensive notes, a bibliography and a chronology of the new york city subway system. In the ambitious and highly readable helvetica and the new york city subway system. The great new york subway map the story of new york citys subway map begins many years before massimo vignelli designed the version that is now hailed as a design classic. The true maybe story submitted by robin benson on december 12, 2012 9. A book with 260 fullcolor illustrations offers an intriguing history of how the chaotic hodgepodge of signs littering the new york city subway system was standardized thanks in part to a little font called helvetica.

Helvetica and the new york city subway system the true. When commuting in a fastpaced city such as new york city, an easytoread signage is key. Pdf download helvetica and the new york city subway system. Paul shaw, an awardwinning graphic designer, typographer, and calligrapher in new york city, teaches at parsons school of design and the school of visual arts. It was the letter j that opened the door for helvetica into the subways. Pdf new york subways an illustrated history of new york. Black and white signs with helvetica showing just the. Helvetica is the official typeface of the mta today, but it was not the typeface specified by unimark international when they created the signage system at the end of the 1960s. Mar 01, 2012 helvetica and the new york city subway system is a muchneeded resource for design historians who are inclined towards the study of the ongoing history of the rationalization of public space. Mta new york city transit, bergen street sign shop.