Fancy a game of boule?

Old signs are a gold-mine for anyone interested in typography and design. The profession of signwriter is a venerable one. In Scandinavia, runes were carved on stones. In the Roman Empire they carved in angular Roman capitals. Here we have an example from turn of the century France. No parking here: this space is for playing boules. A powerful sanserif in bold capitals contrasts with a more delicate, almost backhand handwriting style. Underneath, a blood-red arrow whose meaning is unmistakable. This enamel sign, which has stood up well to wind and weather, is on the wall of a house in the village of Auvillar in south-western France. In Sweden you can order an enamel sign from the country’s only remaining producer, Emaljskyltfabriken Svea in Fritsla in the Västergötland, telephone +46 (0)320–700 59.