[Reader-list] Heritage Signage Disappearing

[Vishal Rawlley]

Hi Partha,

Heritage walks in Mumbai do exist, see: http://www.bombayheritagewalks.com/

But often heritage only includes architectural structures and historical
precincts. In the particular case that prompted me to re-visit the Typocity
project, an eighty year old sign was removed from the facade of a heritage
building because the former was not considered a part of heritage and was
thought to be corrupting the heritage value of the latter.

These emails are also being forwarded to bombayheritagewalks (are they
listening, I wonder?). I have been for one of their tours and they are
extremely educational and very fun. Hopefully when they walk through some of
the heritage areas they will look out for the old signage too.

Best,
Vishal


On 9/18/07, Partha Dasgupta <parthaekka at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Don't know how relevant this is in this specific context, but Bristol in
> the UK has something called a 'walking heritage tour'. It's a non-paid tour
> where people are walked through the city from point to point to various
> heritage sites by people of the town who explain about the site and it's
> importance.
>
> I admit that walking through Mumbai is not as easy as walking through a
> small town in UK so maybe the non-paid would not work.
>
> However, we could look at starting a project with Art and Architecture
> college students who would find this of interest, and maintain a signage
> archive.
>
> Apologies if the thoughts don't quite make a point, was just pouring out
> what came to my mind.
>
> Regards, Partha
> ................
>
> On 9/18/07, Vishal Rawlley <vishal.rawlley at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Dear all,
> >
> > Kabi had suggested:
> > what about
> > marathi, gujarati, hindi urdu newpapers. or getting
> > some reporter on the local english/vernacular  tv
> > stations interested in doing a piece.
> >
> > It seems like a good idea to try the vernacular/ local media. For all
> > the
> > publicity Typocity got in the English press, it seems to have had very
> > little effect. Does someone have a contact I can use?
> >
> > I am also thinking that a sticker campaign (a little mark pasted on the
> > side
> > of a sign) and a certification system wherein all heritage signs are
> > recognised as such and marked accordingly, might help. All such signs
> > would
> > then be able to apply for funds for their upkeep or automatically go to
> > the
> > signage museum if it has to be dismantled. If old signs were to be
> > regularly
> > maintained, then the old sign makers would also find some employment. An
> > 'Adopt a Sign' system could be used to raise funds for individual signs
> > from
> > patrons from the local community - or a wider community by auctioning
> > the
> > sign through its images on the internet. (Hmmm... I will have to become
> > an
> > NGO then! I find myself wishing  for a signage fairy who flits about
> > Bombay
> > streets brightening up and restoring the old signs in the night)
> >
> > Any further suggestions?
> >
> > Best,
> > v
> >
> >
> > On 9/15/07, Vishal Rawlley <vishal.rawlley at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Conversation thread started from>   http://bombay-arts.com/signs_gone/
> > >
> > > Dear Shuddha, Aman, Kabi (and the additional people this is going out
> > to)
> > >
> > > The Typocity project (documenting signage and typeface in Mumbai -
> > > www.typocity.com) has been well publicised. It was featured in the Mid
> > > Day, talked about in Time Out, DNA people know about it; it was also
> > > featured in several art and design magazines. We also conducted a
> > number of
> > > presentations and workshops in collages and other forums. I have also
> > > personally spoken to many shop and restaurant owners about preserving
> > their
> > > old signage (one restaurant owner even has a laminated printout of the
> >
> > > typocity website page featuring his restaurant proudly displayed at
> > the
> > > counter).
> > >
> > > Months of labour on the project over three years had left me
> > exhausted.
> > > But it is now time to revisit it and take stock. Change is inevitable
> > and no
> > > matter what you and me think, the individual proprietors will make
> > their own
> > > aesthetic choice and pragmatic decisions. So some signs went away and
> > I
> > > could only sigh. However what got my goti is when I rushed into the
> > Eastern
> > > Watch shop to scold and complain to the owner for changing the sign,
> > only to
> > > realise that it was the BMC that forced him into this. Another regret
> > was
> > > that I had never managed to get a picture of this landmark sign
> > because of
> > > sheer bad luck and this haunted me whenever I passed by and each time
> > I
> > > reminded myself to do it soon, and then I saw it gone. Damn! But
> > luckily the
> > > owner has a a photograph from 1920s (that is what he claims about the
> > old
> > > photo I had posted. See: http://bombay-arts.com/signs_gone/ and
> > > www.easternwatch.in ) which shows the original signage. It would have
> > been
> > > wonderful to compare this with a recent photograph of the same sign
> > and see
> > > how immaculate it still was - in bright red colours. I noticed the
> > sign's
> > > disappearance after I returned from a long trip abroad. I wonder
> > whether
> > > there are others who noticed this disappearance. (The PUKAR (
> > > www.pukar.org.in) office and the Times of India office are both a
> > stone's
> > > throw away from Eastern Watch.)
> > >
> > > Another thing is that the recent corporate retail boom is speeding up
> > the
> > > demise of private businesses. Old shops are becoming franchises or
> > revamping
> > > themselves to look just like one. So along with the BMC's callousness,
> > this
> > > has given me the impetus to revisit the Typocity project.
> > >
> > > What I need help with is in connecting with some heritage lobbyists,
> > or
> > > better, a BMC officer who would listen. Could I use the RTI act in
> > some way?
> > > I am very inept at submitting forms, filing applications and drafting
> > formal
> > > letters. Government departments spook me out, but I can learn. And yes
> > > additional campaigners will surely help. When you do see a good
> > signage,
> > > please tell the shop/ restaurant/ depot owner that what they have is
> > > precious - this is a really effective approach. Please tell them that
> > they
> > > should never convert their bakery into a Foodland and do buy as many
> > cakes
> > > you can from them. (The lady at American Express bakery remembers me
> > for
> > > this. Printouts of ads from old newspapers about this 1930s
> > institution are
> > > proudly framed even in their new branch now.) Many owners already have
> > an
> > > attachment to the old world and all it needs is a young person to
> > reaffirm
> > > the charm and then they can get very protective about their heritage
> > on
> > > their own.
> > >
> > > In certain cities some nice attempts have been made to restore old
> > signs.
> > > In Chicago, for example, the new owners try to retain the old sign
> > even if
> > > it is not relevant to their business. A hip cafeteria will retain the
> > sign
> > > of the clock repair shop that they have now come to occupy, and even
> > call
> > > their cafe Clockworks Cafe. It is a crusade against indiscriminate
> > > advertising. Can Foodland be perhaps made to see some sense? Can their
> > sign
> > > say Kayani Stores - and in small: a Foodland outlet. Couldn't it even
> > be a
> > > nice business model, as people like to buy food from an old and
> > trusted
> > > place. In Montreal some people are collecting old signs that have to
> > be
> > > taken off and are trying to create a museum for these. Funds for this
> > are
> > > collected, for now, from private donors and the storage space has been
> > > obtained for free.
> > >
> > > So if you know advertising people from the agencies that are designing
> > the
> > > branding for Foodland and Spencer's and Farm Fresh please speak to
> > them. If
> > > you know gallery owners or industrialists with some vacant warehouse
> > space,
> > > please ask them if they could store some precious signs in there for a
> > > while. If through signage reform we can create an awareness about a
> > certain
> > > ethos, then it might even impact architecture design and shop layout
> > design
> > > and city planning! A signage movement is easier to proceed with than
> > > fighting the builders lobby. But if a certain ethos catches on then
> > the
> > > trend followers shall simply follow.
> > >
> > > Thanks for your ideas and suggestions so far. I look forward to all
> > the
> > > press support and any other inputs that can help this cause. I am not
> > > leading this movement; it is as much anyone's cause as mine as long as
> > they
> > > feel the same way about signage and heritage and advertising etc. So
> > do
> > > write in.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Vishal
> > >
> > >
> > > p.s. Shuddha, I do know about www.dafont.com and we did make digital
> > > typefaces out of some found fonts (a very tedious exercise, as not all
> > > characters of the font-set are present in the found font.) Some
> > enthusiastic
> > > students from typography major in J J school of arts have shown a keen
> >
> > > interest in this area and anyone else who finds a typeface they like
> > on the
> > > Typocity website - without needing to scour the city - is free to make
> > a
> > > font out of it. This can be an on ongoing exercise. Some people want
> > to
> > > commercialise this whole venture - I am not very keen. My main
> > interest
> > > is in seeing the heritage signs where they belong rather than on my
> > screen
> > > or on a T-shirt.)
> > >
> > >
> > > On 9/15/07, Shuddhabrata Sengupta < shuddha at sarai.net > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Dear Vishal,
> > > >
> > > > Many thanks for your posting on disappearing signage. As an avowed
> > fan
> > > > of typographic curiosities I have long been an admirer of your
> > efforts
> > > > to document the typographic diversity of Bombay.
> > > >
> > > > I share your concern about the disappearance of signage, because of
> > the
> > > > ham handed ways in which 'heritage' is interpreted by municipal
> > > > authorities. Perhaps one thing that could be done is a small
> > travelling
> > > > exhibition based on your work in colleges, and other arts
> > institutions
> > > > in Bombay. And with your documentation, it should not be impossible
> > to
> > > > convince some of the Bombay papers, say DNA or Mid Day, or even Time
> > Out
> > > >
> > > > Mumbai to publish some articles on the subject. Then maybe, the
> > > > 'heritage' lobby itself may be persuaded to step in and realize that
> > the
> > > > typographic history of Bombay is as much a part of 'heritage' as
> > > > anything else. I am sure that there are some people from DNA and Mid
> > Day
> > > > on this list.
> > > >
> > > > Perhaps they could come out and take this forward. I thought I would
> > > > post in reply to your post because typography is somthing that I
> > feel
> > > > really strongly about,
> > > >
> > > > I hope that other people come up with other suggestions,
> > > >
> > > > best
> > > >
> > > > Shuddha
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Friends,
> > > > >
> > > > > In 2002 the Typocity project ( www.typocity.com) was initiated to
> > > > document
> > > > > typefaces and signage styles in public spaces of Bombay. Since
> > then,
> > > > many of
> > > > > the old signs that we documented are slowly vanishing. However, I
> > was
> > > > most
> > > > > distressed to find that some of this heritage is being destroyed
> > by
> > > > the
> > > > > municipal corporation itself in the name of protecting and
> > > > > restoring heritage structures. Nothing can be more absurd.
> > > > >
> > > > > Please follow this link to see the pictures of replaced signs and
> > find
> > > > out
> > > > > more: http://bombay-arts.com/signs_gone/  Do excuse the quality of
> > > > some of
> > > > > the recent pictures as they were taken on the spur with a
> > > > phone-camera. If
> > > > > anyone has better pictures of the recently replaced Eastern Watch
> > sign
> > > >
> > > > > please share it with me.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am desperately looking for suggestions and ideas to counter this
> >
> > > > lack of
> > > > > sensitivity by the municipal corporation. I shall be very grateful
> > for
> > > > any
> > > > > help.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Best,
> > > > > Vishal
> > > > > _________________________________________
> > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > > > > Critiques & Collaborations
> > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > > > subscribe in the subject header.
> > > > > To unsubscribe:
> > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > > > > List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe in the subject header.
> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
>
>