Characters

Type and signage surround us. They are part of our daily lives and the history of whichever city we happen to live in. Whether old or new, each sign has a story to tell.

In Characters, Stephen Banham has meticulously researched the signage and typography of a city to present an exuberant collection of quirky, poignant and often funny stories.

From architecture and advertising to cultural history and much more, Characters is a book that will appeal to historians, designers and typophiles alike. Featuring a treasure trove of long overlooked examples, Banham reveals how typography is a rich form of cultural expression, redefining the way we look at our surroundings one letter at a time. You will never walk down the street in the same way again.

About the Author

Called a ‘typographic evangelist’ Stephen Banham’s design work has been covered in almost every type annual and design magazine. He is also the founder of Letterbox, a typographic studio, and has lectured in typography at RMIT since 1991. One of his most high profile campaigns in bringing typography into the public eye was the Death to Helvetica debate in the early 2000's. Since then he has run a series of forums on the social and cultural importance of letter forms as well as typographic film festivals.