January 1971 Signs of the Times Spotlights Two Letter Artists

Tales of Two Artists

SIGNS OF THE TIMES’ January 1971 issue, with an attractive “diagonal cut” cover contrasting a bright blue sky with a highway at dusk, features a short profile on Dutch calligrapher Jan Schalkwijk, highlighting examples of his work and his philosophy of picking the right tool for the right job. Another brief profile shines the spotlight on Mary Ann White, owner and operator of White’s Signs in Bala, ON, Canada, a modest town of 600 people. Her occupation as a signpainter and letterer in a near-rural area, which she balanced with being a mother of four, was signaled by the author as “unusual” during the early 1970’s. See complete issues of Signs of the Times dating from 1906 to 1921 at signsofthetimes.com/archive.

• Project Deep Dive
  An editorial feature dives all the way into the fabrication and installation of two display signs advertising Dewar’s “White Label” Scotch upon a 76-ft.-tall single pipe, with nitty-gritty details about the structural frame, supporting column, footing, lighting, installation catwalks and access ladders, even a retold schedule of the eight-day installation. The feature comes with photos documenting nearly every step of the project, from fabricating the horizontal beams to lifting the supports by crane.