Mayson Dotson

Air Circus JNL A 1930s advertising poster for the Inman Brothers Flying Circus offered up an interesting hand lettered Art Deco design that’s a cross between both squared and rounded character shapes.  Because of it's 'futuristic look', the resulting type style can also lend itself to 1970s and 1980s retro projects as well as those from the 1930s and 1940s. Now a digital font, Air Circus JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. A “Flying Circus” is a troupe of ‘barnstormers’ (stunt pilots) who performed aerial tricks either individually or as a team along with selling airplane rides to the general public.  Air Circus JNL Download Now View Gallery

Rail Travel JNL Here’s yet another interpretation of the classic “thick and thin” sans serif lettering most popular during the Art Deco era. This particular design comes to you through the courtesy of a hand lettered 1930s travel poster from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Some capitals are much wider than others, while the lower case ‘i’ is somewhat truncated. Rail Travel JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Rail Travel JNL Download Now View Gallery

Golden Years JNL The cover of the sheet music for the 1910 song “We’ve kept the Golden Rule” features a hand lettered and slightly spurred Art Nouveau type style. As an older couple was pictured below the song’s title, this inspired the name Golden Years JNL for the digital font, which is available in both regular and oblique version. Golden Years JNL Download Now View Gallery

Retail Establishment JNL The 1935 catalog for Vitrolite (a brand of pigmented structural glass) featured artist renderings of how the glass could be applied to business exteriors. One of the lettering styles used in these examples was an Art Deco lower case. This design has been turned into a digital typeface called Retail Establishment JNL and is available in both regular and oblique versions. Retail Establishment JNL Download Now View Gallery

Newsreel Text JNL Intertitle cards from a 1942 newsreel inspired the like-named Newsreel Text JNL , which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Newsreel Text JNL Download Now View Gallery

Western Suburbs JNL The cover of a 1932 edition of “Sunset magazine” (a publication for homeowners living in the west and southwest area of the United States) featured a lovely Art Deco serif alphabet that is now available as Western Suburbs JNL in both regular and oblique versions. Western Suburbs JNL Download Now View Gallery

Revelry Deco JNL The namesake for this type design was the dust jacket for the 1926 book “Revelry”. A classic Art Deco thick-and-thin design, Revelry Deco JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Revelry Deco JNL Download Now View Gallery

Eutaw Stencil JNL A hand lettered emulation of a Roman stencil type face on the cover of the folio for the Stenso School Set was the basis for Eutaw Stencil JNL , which is available in both regular and oblique versions. The Stenso School Set (circa 1940-41) was comprised of three stencils – two lettering guides and a map of the [then] 48 United States. Developed and patented by Baltimore school teacher Ruth Libauer Hormats, her stencils were the first to offer a system for accurate letter spacing and ease of use. “Eutaw” (as part of the font’s name) is taken from Eutaw Place, the street where Ruth and her husband lived at the time of Stenso’s inception. To the Cherokee, the name means “Creek Indian”. Eutaw Stencil JNL Download Now View Gallery

Bill of Fare JNL A 1942 menu cover for the restaurant at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles features its name in a stylized Art Deco serif design. This is has been turned into the digital typeface Bill of Fare JNL , and is available in both regular and oblique versions. Bill of Fare JNL Download Now View Gallery

Vacation Resort JNL The hand lettered cast and production credits for the 1942 music comedy “Holiday Inn” (starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire) inspired Vacation Resort JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Vacation Resort JNL Download Now View Gallery

Vacation Resort JNL The hand lettered cast and production credits for the 1942 music comedy “Holiday Inn” (starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire) inspired Vacation Resort JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Vacation Resort JNL Download Now View Gallery