Signage Around Town: Over The Rhine Edition
May 14, 2012 4 Comments
Welcome to another historical tour of the city through the spectrum of hand-painted signage and advertising. This time we explore one of our most storied and culturally rich neighborhoods, Over The Rhine, located just north of downtown Cincinnati.
To this day OTR is a hotbed of locally owned and independent establishments with new shops popping up weekly. The area has become a checker board of old and new. For this tour my attention focused mostly on the old.
For many store owners eye-catching signage was simply a means to introduce themselves to the neighborhood and communicate what they had to offer.
Some of these signs have been unchanged for decades, becoming local landmarks.
For me, these signs are so fascinating because they represent communication design at it’s most raw. The language is simple and direct and the layout is often figured out as the sign is being painted. Yet, even with all of the gloss and flourishes striped away they offer a beautiful perspective on the personality, the quality, and the history of each business.
About coryclinton
Reblogged this on Over-the-Rhine Blog.
Love this post, so many amazing signs love them.
Thanks
Pingback: Signage Around Town: Over The Rhine Edition « FRCH | Creative Fuel « International Visual
Great pics! It is fascinating to see some of the old signage and figure out what they were for in the past. The transformation happening in OTR is a sight to behold but it’s nice to see some things sticking around.