the typewriter

I'm not sure of the protocol here, although I'm pretty sure I'm going against it. But I just couldn't resist! On a visit to a client's flat (which needs to be renovated from a nursery school to a family home), I discovered this:

From what Google tells me, this is a version of the first commercially successful typewriter, manufactured by the American firm of E. Remington and Sons. I wasn't able to pin down the exact model from the quick  photographs I took, the quality of which you must excuse; I only had my phone and I was all too worried about the clients returning and having to give an embarrassing explanation to be able to take my time.

From a great article on Remington Portables:

The Remington portable typewriters of the twenties and thirties are a familiar sight in antique shops and flea markets across the U.S. (not to mention eBay). Many of them are charming and attractive, and there are few collectors who don't have at least one. However, it is difficult to find information about these machines. They were produced in bewildering variety, with a wide range of names and minor variations. 

And this was just lying there, abandoned! I wish I had the guts to steal it -or even ask the clients about it. Maybe I can do that the next time I see them. But, ah, if only wishes were horses...

Out of the mouth of

via Brand New

Made you smile, didn't it?

Notes

I've joined vir.mueller architects as a trainee.

They only use the font Helvetica.
(Actually, Swis721 LT, but that's what Helvetica is called on Windows)

link via Rohan Patankar

My parents went to the US for a conference, where they met people from all over the world, and exchanged gifts. My loot: two awesome Indonesian bookmarks representing the Hindu mythology characters Srikhandi and Rama.

Found online:

here.

Currently reading What on Earth Evolved? 100 Species that changed the world by Christopher Lloyd.

W

Wikipedia is the only source of light in a "world without free knowledge".

I think this page/ announcement works so well; it needed to be simple and to the point. I love the extreme shadow and the soft black and the Times New Roman. This is nothing dramatic or radical or ohmygodshit!, but that's probably the reason for its success.

Of course, Wikipedia is not the only site protesting. But I do think that it does it more, well, elegantly, than the others.

On an aside: never realized how often I went to the Wiki page in a day; I just instinctively click on a link or google search result and then realize a split second later that it's been blacked out.

The history of Gotham

The history of Gotham,
at
Wikipedia
and
Hoefler and Frere-Jones, the type foundry
and
the Helvetica movie website
and here:

Style

If you live in South Delhi then you've definitely seen some of the great graffiti (ahem, vandalism?) out on the streets. NowDelhi/ Tahska has even made a pretty brilliant short film/ documentary on this:

Vandalrt from tahska on Vimeo.

From the style and signature (which I sometimes spot) I know that most of the graffiti done around my area is by Daku. It's all brilliantly coloured typography (and I mean the other meaning of brilliant, the one to do with bright and shining, complete with glinting edges); it's really good work.


There's a huge abandoned plot at the edge of my colony -used as a rubbish dump and public urinal- with a lone square very DDA-looking structure on it. I don't know what it is, but I've seen it on plenty of other huge abandoned plots- perhaps some kind of guard room, or something that hides an ancient well?


Anyways, that structure has now been vandalized. (Actually, it's been so for at least a month, and I've been planning to write this at least as long, but we'll talk about my procrastination sometime else.) This is the best graffiti work I've seen for real so far, outside of my computer screen. I mean, shit. It's just so good, the idea and, of course, the execution. Take a look:

looking up at the sky?

looking away from the rubbish?

both?

update
Ankurb told me to watch Exit Through the Gift Shop (which has all type in helvetica, btw). It's a great, really, REALLY, funny movie/ documentary/ mockumentary/ prankometary/ I-don't-know-whether-it's-true-or-not; I mean, it's so ridiculous it's completely unbelievable.

__
Style is still my favourite.

On wit

The Occupied Wall Street Journal is the mouthpiece of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement.


So brilliantly funny. Also, I've said this before, I'll say it again, nobody tops Scott Adams. If you don't already flow his blog, you should. His recent posts documenting his US presidential campaign will have you LAUGHING OUT LOUD (and, if you're like me, annoying people around you by reading out loud too).


And, acceding to Adams' wishes, I'm posting the following disclaimer:

Warning: This blog is written for a rational audience that likes to have fun wrestling with unique or controversial points of view. It is written in a style that can easily be confused as advocacy or opinion. It is not intended to change anyone's beliefs or actions. If you quote from this post or link to it, which you are welcome to do, please take responsibility for whatever happens if you mismatch the audience and the content.