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247. “Oh Boy, what a Beer” - National Bohemian Beer was brewed here by the National Brewing Company from 1885 until 1978. In the years following WWII, Natty Boh became the most successful beer in Baltimore thanks in large part to its advertising featuring a one-eyed mascot called “Mr. Boh.” Today, @nationalbohemianbeer is owned by Pabst and is no longer brewed in the city, but it is and will always be Baltimore’s beer. - As for this beautiful sign on the back side of what’s now called Natty Boh Tower, I’m not sure if its an original ad or one that was added when the building was renovated into office and storage space about 20 years ago. Either way, it’s a great representation of Baltimore’s unofficial mascot. Mr. Boh can also be seen winking at you from atop this building thanks to a giant neon sign that was installed during those same renovations in 2004. (at Natty Boh Tower) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLkcWkBJClY/?igshid=4fpqa1gololp

246. L♥️VE (at American Visionary Art Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLR1JWjpLgt/?igshid=lw68c8edkzi4

245. Dentist - Some handmade goodness on North Ave. (at North Ave. East Baltimore) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLH-1ygpN2S/?igshid=c9x6v71upfs1

244. 29th Street Tavern (at 29th Street Tavern) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKzl-wjJabw/?igshid=p8h7c67ngoae

243. Salt Box - Is there a piece of typography that better captures a snowy day in Baltimore than these spray-painted, stenciled black letters? Salt boxes have long been an icon of winter in the city, but recently they’ve become a medium for some independent public art as well. Check out @baltimore.saltbox to see some of the fun being had. (at Baltimore, Maryland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKwxqWBpXKn/?igshid=1mw7ro5uj7l6g

242. The A.J. Sackett & Sons Co. - A.J. Sackett & Sons was founded in 1897 and has been producing equipment for the fertilizer industry ever since. Judging from the style and patina of these handpainted signs, it looks like they’ve been along for the ride for a good portion of the company’s history. The faded signage reveals even older sections of lettering, too, as shown in my 4th image here. - I’m glad I got some pictures of these beauts before the company had them repainted. It looks like they had started to, but stopped after redoing just the bottom ‘T’ of their vertical sign (image 6). You can’t blame a company for wanting their signs to be easily legible, but I hope they saw the character of the old signage as a valuable piece of their history and decided to keep it as is. - Shoutout to @charmcityquirk for first finding and posting this gem. Give him a follow and join as he explores the often overlooked parts of our fair city. (at Aj Sackett & Sons) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKms0qtpLxq/?igshid=1vl3b0dlvxcw1

40. Vote Against Prohibition - This is a reshoot of a post from back in 2016 (hence the low post number). Now that I’ve got a drone, I figured it’d be cool to go back and get some new shots of previous posts from time to time with the aid of some aerial perspective. What better place to start than with Baltimore’s most famous ghost sign!? - It still amazes me how this thing is still going strong after over 100 years gracing the corner of Broadway and Shakespeare St. in Fells Point. (at Insomnia Cookies) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRxmVAJsbg/?igshid=1h7sdvbuq236p

Happy New Year’s Eve! Here are my #topnine posts from 2020. In what’s been a crazy and difficult year, it’s nice to look back and remember the good. Thanks for following along and making it fun to find and show off these hidden typographic gems from around the city! - Posts from top left to bottom right: 199. Hirsch’s Cafe 214. Excelsior Cigar Factory 213. Eddie’s Flowers 235. Faultless Pajamas 222. Black Lives Matter 227. Mt. Royal Tavern 212. Johnson’s Hardware 219. No Justice No Peace No Racist Police 216. I Love It (at Baltimore, Maryland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJd-dKspKv9/?igshid=1try5ld4m0d87

#topnine

241. Seasons Greetings - Having grown up not far from 34th street, this is one of the few years in my life that I won’t be taking a walk down this block to take in its holiday cheer prior to Christmas. A view from above (via drone) will have to suffice. Seasons Greetings everyone! (at Miracle on 34th St. Baltimore Md) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJMqzRbJKMU/?igshid=zv0mqzxh4jh1

240. BP - This monogram is one of many beautiful Beaux Arts details on the facade of what was once Broadway Pier, now home to the @sagamorependrybaltimore. Broadway Pier, as it was originally named, came to be known as the “Rec Pier” due to its dual purpose design as both a commercial pier and neighborhood rec center. The second level of the pier served as a playground and place for youth sports in the densely packed neighborhood of Fell’s Point. The second floor of the front building also contained a ballroom used for neighborhood events which, after years of sitting vacant, was thoughtfully restored when the pier was transformed into a hotel in 2017. - As for these details, I’d never noticed the different years marked on each until taking a closer look with my drone. The roman numerals beneath the monogram show the correct year that the pier was completed, 1914, while the ones in the heraldic sculpture at the top of the facade are a year shy. Given the complexity of the sculpture, it was undoubtedly started early in the building process and therefore may feature the year originally planned for completion. - Fun fact: architect Theodore Wells Pietsch, who was also behind a number of other grand Baltimore buildings from this era, was only the 9th American to receive the French Government Diploma for architecture from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts in December 1897. - For more type from the “Rec Pier,” check out post 192 for a shot of the old channel lettering that still adorns the harbor-side wall of this building; a post that was part of a collab I did with @evanwoodard_ (at Sagamore Pendry Baltimore) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJHRXfKJIN-/?igshid=5zakncz2nj5g

239. Murphy’s - Not sure what this #ghostsign behind Jimmy’s in Fells Point once advertised, but whatever it was we at least know it was on earth. Could it have been the BEST on earth!? - Full sign reads: MURPHY’S (?) On Earth (at Jimmy's Restaurant) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI_hsi8JwFU/?igshid=11y6019fwbbem

#ghostsign

237. Broadway Hotel - Love that this little old neon sign is still hanging in there on the building that now houses BOP (Brick Oven Pizza) in Fells Point. The years have been kind to this guy too! Not only is the neon tubing still in great shape, but the paint has aged beautifully to reveal the paint strokes of the sign’s painter from all those years back. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore either by hand painting the lettering beneath the neon. With neon signage slowly dying, seeing a beaut like this still hanging in there is always a pleasure! (at B.O.P. (Brick Oven Pizza of Fells Point in Baltimore)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI01kc8pf1S/?igshid=16lpkgzq5f966

237. Clothing Outlet Store - Wish I could find out more on this one, but man is that giant red arrow cool! - As best as I can tell, here’s how the full sign reads: MANUFACTURER’S CLOTHING OUTLET STORE 117-119-121 W. Baltimore Street • Shopper’s Parking Center Clifton Park Clothes (at EMP Collective) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIYm-49pPhv/?igshid=20cetbrza5hp

236. 1889 - More goodness from the facade of 318 W. Baltimore Street. Love those interlocking 8’s! Check out my post from 10 days ago (numbered 234) for a shot of the monogram atop this building. (at Ds Juice Bar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHqTV6FJCca/?igshid=gd04pst197er

235. Faultless Pajamas - E. Rosenfeld & Co. was founded in 1881 and quickly rose to prominence as a major employer in Baltimore’s once bustling garment manufacturing district. The company was best known for their Faultless Pajama brand, which produced the first pajamas to use elastic waistbands in place of drawstrings or belts. The brand was advertised pretty extensively using the slogan “The Nightwear of a Nation.” A good number of these ads can be found around the internet and I’ll share a few in my story. - As for the type here, I’ve been eyeing these signs for a while but never knew how to get a decent shot of them. Getting a drone certainly helps! Aside from the spectacular view of the bromo tower and downtown in the background, the perspective really helps you appreciate the details. The up close view also reveals the layers that were repainted over the years to refresh the signage and adjust wording or composition. If you’re a #typenerd like me, this is when things get interesting. The differences in letter styling between these layers means you’re getting 2 for the price of 1. The best example of this here is in the layers of “E. Rosenfeld & Co.” The left aligned layer features a Slab Serif letter style, while the more center aligned layer is a Spur Serif (see photo 3). This difference is virtually unnoticeable from street level and was a pleasant surprise upon taking a closer look. - After taking these shots and researching the building a bit, I realized there are even more incredible ghost signs on another side of the building. I’ll have to go back and get those soon! - Full sign reads: FAULTLESS PAJAMAS FAULTLESS NIGHT ROBES E. ROSENFELD & CO. Night Shirts Pajamas Day Shirts (at University of Maryland School of Medicine) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHdbSsUpW9T/?igshid=pnp0gdy9hkfe

#typenerd

234. ASA - This monogram is at the top of the incredibly beautiful facade at 318 W. Baltimore Street. I tried, but couldn’t find any information on the history of this building and what the monogram stood for. I do know, however, it was built in 1889 thanks to some more type further down the facade that I’m saving for a post of its own. (at Ds Juice Bar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHQWuMkJDri/?igshid=jrb036m4kcv4

233. Edgar Allan Poe. - Happy Halloween! Is there a more Baltimore way to celebrate than with a visit to Poe’s grave!? (at Edgar Allan Poe Gravesite) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHBLzfxJrDm/?igshid=1ttqbayqipjnp

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