Niles Blvd Vernacular Typography

Main Street

Vernacular Typography

Table

Contents History of Niles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Metal Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Vinyl Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 6 8 12 13

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Wooden Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Various Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 2 3 4 1 5 7 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18

History of Niles

For locals in the Bay area, Niles Blvd., a historic street in the East Bay, is still a well-kept secret. Niles Boulevard, which was first established in the 1850s, served as a junction for the Southern Pacific Railroad’s lines from Oakland to San Jose and coastal areas in the south. The name Niles, more popularly known because of their start of the film industry, put them on the map as one of the possible locations to build Hollywood, since the silent film production took off. In the early 1900’s studio owner Gilbert M. “ Broncho Billy” of the Essanay Studios was at its peak in the movie making industry starring Charlie Chaplin in different cowboy films. The historic street has since carried its nostalgic aesthetic and has many different shops that have unique signage that many designers can identify throughout the area.

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Niles Flying A (1)

Metal Type

Individual fragments of metal type were used to make metal type typefaces. Molten metal is used to cast each letter, number, and punctuation mark in a precise shape,

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which is then assembled by hand to form words and phrases. Prior to the development of digital printing technology, metal type typefaces were frequently utilized in printing. Metal cutout type is an obvious sign of city recognition.

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The plaques and markers in the Niles area, such as those honoring the completion of construction on Fire Station Two and the Niles Town Square, should be read by visitors. All of these facts are important knowledge. The identifiable city fonts are further enhanced by the distinct appearance of these metal cutout kinds.

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Sometimes metal type can be very small and a little hard to find, think of it like a scavenger hunt on Niles Boulevard, the more you look the more metal type you will find.

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Freemont Fire Station II (6)

Vinyl Type

To distinguish between city signs and store signage, numerous distinct signs have been erected across the city. In the neighborhood, you may find Vinyl Type at places like Rafael’s Garage, the Niles Flying A, and Mantiques. (1)

As it can be utilized for a variety of purposes, including signage, car graphics, banners, and more, vinyl type material is a versatile and well-liked medium for designing.

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Several vinyl label decals and hand-crafted stencil signs are scattered throughout many different city signs in order to create a clear and readable font style as well as a clean appearance on various shop and their open and closed signs.

Mantiques (9)

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Wooden Type

Think about how different typefaces can go together and compliment each other well, or contradict each other to make a statement.

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Chris’s Jewelry(10) Mantiques Wooden Service sign(9)

Today, artists and designers who value the historical and aes thetic significance of this clas sic printing technique are the main users of wooden type. In addition to wooden type, it can be found in antique stores and throughout many other shops

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Ambroses Butchery(11) Skilletz (12)

majority of the hand-painted script in the area is located in shops, Ambrose Butchery, Chris’s Jewelry, and Skilletz all have wooden signs in a variety of typefaces that add to their stores’ uniqueness.

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Mr. Mikey’s Country Store and Deli (13)

The aging of the wooden type like on Mr. Mikey’s Country Shop and Deli and the Niles welcome sign also provide a sense of how Niles past is instantly recognizable.

17 Niles Welcome Sign (14)

Various Type

Typography and graphic design can make use of a wide range of materials and fonts. Niles Boulevard has a unique appearance due to the number of unique typeface combinations that can be found there. Using decorative and script typefaces with modern serif or san serif fonts improves the illusion of timelessness in design. Numerous stores, such the American Trading Post, Pretty Nails, and Les Belles Antiques, all display a feeling of contrast between old and modern styles to show that a store may still be significant in the modern world regardless how long it has been in business. Serif typefaces are used for body text, while display fonts are frequently used for headings or logos. Combining a display font with a serif font can create a visual contrast that draws attention to the headline or logo.

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Currently, the Niles District in Fremont is well-known for its historic commercial area, Wildflower Festival, Niles Essanay Silent Film Festival and Museum, yearly Antique Fair, and Niles Canyon Railway. While Niles continues to be a charming historic place, a family friendly atmosphere, and a welcoming shopping experience, keep an eye out for different kinds of typefaces and fonts that may jump out to you as designers. Scale, weight, stroke, and height all contribute to the characteristic of each store front or even signs that emphasize different connotations.