Reviving the Signes Archive

The Signes Archive is dedicated to the history of graphic design and typography. More specifically, it focuses on French achievements in these fields - and/or those of foreign designers living or working in France. It is primarily aimed at students, professionals and enthusiasts of these disciplines. It is presented as a vast collection of printed works from the beginnings of typography to the 20th century. Most of these works are shown in their entirety, so that one can fully appreciate both their content and their production. This is the case of numerous type albums and catalogs from various type foundries over the centuries. Each of these works is the subject of a commentary based on solid historical references and often offering previously unpublished information.

The research and commentaries were written by Michel Wlassikoff, historian, teacher and author of several books on the history of graphic design and typography. The documents collected are held by various institutions, private archives and individual collectors. The names of the lenders are indicated after each book comment. Special thanks are due to the library of the École Estienne, which has made a large number of books on typography available to the site.

The Signes Archive follows on from the signes.org site opened in 2014, on the initiative of Bernard Baissait, graphic designer, and Michel Wlassikoff, which had set itself the goal of providing illustrated historical knowledge, accompanied by substantial commentary, in the fields of graphic design and typography. This initiative was initially supported by the French Ministry of Culture’s Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP). Technical problems led to the first site being shut down. On the initiative of Jean-Baptiste Levée, founder and director of the digital typographic foundry Production Type, the principle and essential content of signes.org was taken over, developed and completed, notably the commentaries by Michel Wlassikoff. The disappearance of signes.org had shown just how important such a site was for the younger generation of designers and researchers alike. Requests piled up for access to this exceptional documentation to be restored. The Signes Archive site responds to these requests, offering renewed, expanded and more easily accessible information.

“Compo DP”, one of the last specimens of Deberny et Peignot
“Lettera, Teufen” / Arthur Niggli, reissue of the first collection, 1972
André Chante, “Collection Hollenstein”, specimen-poster, circa 1970.
Collection Hollenstein, “L’Or”, André Chante
The Lumitype saga: France’s early attempts at phototypesetting
Atelier Adrian Frutiger, Paris: Brands & typography, the fusion of design and corporate identity in the 1960s
Jan Tschichold, “Vues cavalières sur le modernisme en typographie”, 1960
“Type. Une sélection de caractères d’imprimerie” by Rudolf Hostettler — A notable 1958 compilation amidst the rise of phototypesetting and Swiss typography”
Deberny et Peignot’s “Univers”, 1957
Deberny et Peignot’s “Ancien”, “Ondine”, “Typophane” ,“Cristal”, ca 1955
Hermann Zapf’s “Manuale Typographicum”
Maximilien Vox, “Défense et illustration de la lettre”, Paris, Monotype, 1955
“Actualité littéraire”: a special issue featuring the mentors of Pierre Faucheux, 1953
Deberny et Peignot’s “Bodoni”, ca 1953
Deberny Peignot’s “Spécimen Général”, ca 1953
Art d’aujourd’hui: “Le graphisme et l’art”, 1952.
Deberny et Peignot’s “Contact”, 1952
Joveneaux, “La lettre dans la peinture et la publicité”, ed. Charles Massin, 1950.
“Lettres”, Paris, Arts et métiers graphiques, 1948.
Fonderie Olive in 11 specimens, 1948–1963
Deberny et Peignot’s “Jacno”, 1949
Deberny et Peignot’s “Touraine”, 1947
Maximilien Vox, SNCF typographic standard, 1942.

Elzevier and Dutch typography in the 17th century
The Romain du Roi, or king Louis XIV’s letter (1695–1715)
Beginnings of the Imprimerie Royale, 1642
The first catalog of typefaces in Italy, 1628
The specimen of Jean Jannon, 1621
Jean de Beaugrand’s “Panchrestographie”, 1604

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The Signes Archive is itself the extension of the revue Signes, which was a graphic design review created by Frédéric Massard, Michel Wlassikoff, and Muriel Paris. 22 issues we published between 1991 and 1998. The below covers are designed by Muriel Paris (Signes 9-10), Maria Arnold (Signes 12), Alexander Jordan (Signes 13-14), Pascal Béjean (Signes 20-21), Brigitte Monnier (Signes 22).