When I was young my parents would make me happy by doing something special for me. I would really like it if you would do it too. Please give your responses backwards.
March 11, 2012
This is the logo from my grandfather’s hard hat. It has to be at least 50 years old (the hat at least, a quick search for the company yielded no results). He wasn’t a construction worker by trade, but did surveying for the Ohio turnpike as a summer job when he wasn’t teaching.

I love the typeface for the “hardtop” text. A nice slab serif — a little wide, a little thin, not too bold, but with enough presence. And that “R” is perfection. If I can find some time, I’ll have to re-create the font from this photo.
When I was young my parents would make me happy by doing something special for me. I would really like it if you would do it too. Please give your responses backwards.
March 11, 2012

Red Hook, Brooklyn, NYC
When I was young my parents would make me happy by doing something special for me. I would really like it if you would do it too. Please give your responses backwards.
December 22, 2011

There’s something at firs odd, but then somehow comforting in this sign. The angled background shape and highly italicized “super” sans-serif typeface contrasting with the old school slab serif “P” with the heavy drop shadow. Plus the white shape being corner cut to match the angle of the black background. It’s all a little bit circus and a little bit modern. It’s a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n roll.
Upper West Side, Manhattan.
When I was young my parents would make me happy by doing something special for me. I would really like it if you would do it too. Please give your responses backwards.
November 11, 2011
When I was young my parents would make me happy by doing something special for me. I would really like it if you would do it too. Please give your responses backwards.
October 23, 2011

The coolest punctuation mark in the alphabet as a stencil in black spray paint. With very nice curves too. South Brooklyn.
When I was young my parents would make me happy by doing something special for me. I would really like it if you would do it too. Please give your responses backwards.
October 1, 2011

Back in the day (okay, way way back), all signs were hand painted. This one is surviving (barely). I’m not sure if it’s the deterioration or the painting itself, but the letters seem to have a wobble or tilt to them. It’s like the baseline for each letter wasn’t level.
South Brooklyn, NYC
When I was young my parents would make me happy by doing something special for me. I would really like it if you would do it too. Please give your responses backwards.
July 6, 2011

This is one of the most worn out signs I’ve ever seen. What’s the point? Obviously, it’s not doing anyone any good. Can you decipher what it says?
Of course, I do like the way the letter forms have deteriorated into something completely different from their original intended meaning.