TORONTO TYPE

I’m taking a short break and will resume posting photos on Wednesday April 7.

In the meantime, Happy Passover and Happy Easter!

Corneil

It’s not often that you encounter the word “couture” abandoned in an empty lot. It’s kind of like discovering a beaded dress glittering in the gutter.

This is the name of a new condo that will be built on the site. The sales centre was recently taken down and I expect construction will begin soon.

For now, there’s just a bunch of prostrate letters here, a sales pitch tossed aside, a scrap of glamour seeming to be garbage.

The signs painted on the sides of buildings often have a ghostly quality. The letters fade into the brickwork but still persist, linking us to an older version of our city.

In this shot I chose to focus on a single letter, a magnificent “M.” It’s in great condition, so this sign may not be as old as some of the other specimens you see around town.

Beneath the letter is a credit for the company that made the sign. Imagine an anonymous painter from way back when adding this final touch, like an artist signing a canvas.

The typeface used for “Tutti Frutti” is like a racetrack for the eyes. It sends your gaze reeling around curves and jumping from letter to letter. I particularly like the first “U” and the way it connects one “T” with the next.

(Make sure you click on the image to see a larger version. You’ll better see the parallel lines that make up each letter.)

This sign has a showbizzy magnetism. It announces “Famous Foods” and the dense border of lightbulbs creates a carnival feeling. Step right up!

Yes, the use of green is predictable for a food shop. But take another look at the words “Tutti Frutti” and tell me you expected that.

What I enjoy about this type of sign is the fact that the words are assembled by hand. It’s a pleasingly low tech way of constructing a message.

It allows for easy revisions but it also invites creative mischief: Wouldn’t you love to shuffle the letters you see here to see what you could spell?

This sign is reminiscent of old movie theatre marquees. These days we’re more likely to encounter banks of LED lights when going to see a film: speedier to update I’m sure and no need for a stepladder.

If I recall correctly, this store was vacant when I took the photo. Who knows, perhaps the sign is already gone.

In a city known for politeness, it’s refreshing to come across a sign as blunt as this one. There’s no “Please” to soften the blow. This is an order!

I love the way the word “Block” is so much larger than the others, like a voice suddenly louder. If you listen to the tone of this sign, you’ll hear exasperation, with barely suppressed rage beneath the surface: You’ve done this a million times before, now stop!

The security camera adds a delicious final touch. Who knew Toronto could be so nasty?

I like signs that make you do a bit of work to read them. Here the tattoos on a cartoon muscleman indicate what the shop offers and the bulging letters take some time to decode. The artist faithfully conveys the way inked flesh makes graphic design elastic.

A shirtless man advertising a clothing shop: yeah, we’ve seen that before. But this is no Abercrombie boy. This is a king with a jagged crown, a mustachioed ruler who proclaims “In Vintage We Trust.” For his authoritative yet comical presence, doesn’t he deserve some respect?

One of the most attention-getting words in the English language has got to be “free.” This sign uses it twice in a row with lettering that varies in size, giving the word an off-kilter charm.

I assume it’s a Pop Shoppe beverage that’s free, but to get the full details of the deal you have to ask inside. And once you’re inside, the call of poutine will ideally become irresistible.

I like the simple black, white and red colour scheme and especially the red “i” that looks like an upside down exclamation mark. If I ever felt the urge to eat poutine, I would probably go here.

I like signs that make bold promises. This coffee shop implies here that its drinks will send you on a cosmic journey.

Take a look at how the night sky abruptly ends part way across the sign. It’s as if to say you’ll be rocketed out of slumber by their caffeinated brew, perhaps leaving the limits of the known universe behind. The dramatic distortion of the words “JET FUEL” adds to the forecast of a mind-bending trip.

The three-dimensional rocket gives this a playful feeling. Maybe the giddy possibilities of childhood are recaptured here.

Has anyone been to Jet Fuel lately? How’s the coffee?

Here’s an eye-catching sign on the display window at The Bata Shoe Museum. The six letters of “CANADA” are snugly fitted together to form a gigantic footprint. What does this puzzle-like graphic say about our national identity?

I can’t get enough of that little A contained inside the D! It’s a quirky response to the fact that the D makes a good heel, but unfortunately isn’t the final letter of the word.

Imagine stomping through fresh snow with treads like this on your boots!