Old outboard boat motor seen in an antique store in Hixton, Wisconsin, July 29, 2004.

Some vintage signage not far from where I live in St. Paul. It’s nice that they’ve never attempted to renovate it.

Inlaid tile lettering, seen in Beloit, Wisconsin on November 27, 2004.

Some spicy lettering from the cover of “Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass / South of the Border” (released in 1964), a record album I picked up in an antique store. It looks like it might have been done by Ed Benguiat—it’s very much in his style, particularly the “wedged-in” layout. The design credit just says “Apple Graphics.” The arrow is a nice touch. Just in case you’re bad with directions, I guess.

The record was absent, so I guess I’ll miss out hearing “Hello, Dolly!” sung with a Spanish accent.

Seen in Galesville, Wisconsin, on July 28, 2011.

I picked this up in a used book store in Omaha, Nebraska, last year. Most people who might collect a magazine like this would be interested in the content—photos and articles about Broadway of the 1930s. I find that interesting, too. But the reason I decided to buy it was because of the design and lettering it contained.

The contents page lists a guy named Nelson Gruppo as art director. I’ve never heard of him, but he certainly had style. The typographic treatment above graces the contents page. (That copy is pretty ridiculous, though.)

Elsewhere in the magazine, lettering artists did many of the feature titles:

Even more lettering gems are found in the advertisements:

I’d like to think it must have been fun to be a lettering artist back then. It sure looks like fun, anyway. Unfortunately, there are no credits for the lettering. I wouldn’t be surprised if the great Tommy Thompson did some of these.