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Help with Art Deco Font / Contrast / Source

Signstein

New Member
Capture-RESTROOMS.JPG

Can anyone help ID this font? It's in the lobby of an old hotel from 1750. Found a few close, but no matches.
Customer is wanting to add more dimensional letters like these elsewhere in the lobby on a beige wall.
Gold on beige? I feel like that's going to be tough to see. Are there any contrast checker tools online for signage like the ones for web design?
And sorry for one more question - can anyone recommend a source? I'm an internal shop at a non-profit, so Gemini is a no-go. I've reached out to Howmac and am waiting to hear back.
Thanks!
 

JBurton

Signtologist
A quick google tells me the first sans serif font was caslon... or made by caslon IV... idk, but if you ask me, those s's are upside down!
 

unclebun

Active Member
The Os don't look like the same font. They were probably replaced some time over the years. They are much thinner stroke than the other letters.

The letters R, E, T, and O can be found in fonts like Century Gothic or Futura but their M has angled legs. Avant Garde has straight legs on the M but the S doesn't have the angled terminals. I can't find any font that has a weird S like the one on the sign. It's completely straight from the top curve to the bottom curve.

I think you're just going to have to choose an available font and go with it.
 
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Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
I was going to say Calson as well, I also wanted to say that they were hand made (1750 and all)
 

JBurton

Signtologist
Though the house was made in 1750, I don't think this sign was. They didn't use the word restroom back then.
Good point. Start with the origin of the word bathroom, go from there.
I also wanted to say that they were hand made (1750 and all)
Most definitely, though I have to admit I felt like a dumbass reading about 'type foundries' and never connecting the dots of a foundry, a place that casts metal, and typeface. I always figured it was jargon coined when they started making fonts for computers under one overarching company.
 

Signstein

New Member
Unclebun - I bet you're right. Letters have been replaced, and now it's just a hodgepodge. I went down a font rabbit hole yesterday as well and I think Futura "feels" the closest.
Thanks everyone for the input!

Capture-Futura.JPG
 
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