Book the Trip

Book the Trip: a tour of folk lettering worldwide

by Alastair M. Johnston

This book from Poltroon Press contains over 700 photos taken by author Alastair Johnston on his travels over the past 40 years.
Most scholars dismiss folk lettering as naïve, but Johnston embraces the unusual, learning from amateur sign painters and muralists. In 31 succinct chapters he explores different aspects of these artworks that are part of our cultural heritage, from African beauty parlor signs to hundred-year-old fairground stalls, from the early industrial heritage of Britain to its manifestation in signs in former colonies such as Ireland or India, from Haitian buses to African fishing boats, he finds a lot to celebrate.

A short video about the book (better seen on youtube and click HD):

blurb:

“This is an important book. For over 40 years Alastair Johnston has been documenting signs and lettering from all over the world, but it is more than just lettering, it is also a cultural, social and historical document. Signs and lettering are all around informing us, cajoling us, reminding us, pointing us in the right direction in a myriad of styles. They are a very important part of our visual landscape that we often hardly see.
What is truly fascinating about this book is its cultural diversity, from Indian lorries to Haitian buses, present day Irish sign painting to the English industrial heritage and fairground art. Every chapter in the book is well defined and exposes a unique cultural heritage and diversity.
The accompanying text is never dry, it is informative and delivered with wit that makes very enjoyable reading.”
— David Quay, type designer, type tourist

SPECIAL EDITION

There are 26 special copies,lettered and signed @ $100, including an original photo from the book: Choose from below

Doggie Diner heads 2 muscle man Haiti 3 beware of wild pigs Rajasthan 4 snook bar Bahia, Brasil 5 tché BBQ Trancoso, Brasil 6 miss tott’s thrift Oakland 7 Fireworks Nairobi8 silent hotel Ruiru 9 suit Kenya 10 green hotel Eldoret 11 cloth hall Listowel, Eire 12 3rd class train Beamish 13 piano bar Rapallo14 el divino Búzios, Brasil 15 indian circus Chandigarh16 tachism Lodwar Kenya 17 Port Sudan 18 American baby Port au Prince 19 Pit bull bar Salvador 20 taqueria SF Mission 21 marlboro Omdurman Sudan 22 Clerke shop, Skibbereen
23 letter girls SF

24 Gloria truck San Vicente, Baja California, MX 25 Cordova SF Mission26 African herbs Lake Naivasha

• Saved in: art criticism, cultural writing, Photography