Signs of the Seaside

About

Featuring over 100 works, including photography, type specimens, 3D artworks and textiles, this interactive, family-friendly exhibition will explore the deep connection between typography and the English seaside, providing a new perspectie on the function and purpose of graphic design i our coastal towns.  Works from the museum's collection will accompany vibrant new commissions by artists including Anthony Burrill and Amy Goodwin, articulating the eveolution of the coastal vernacular over the past 250 years.  

On display will be early type specimens from the 18th centurythrough to examples of lettering at the coast in the modern day, including never before seen draft designs of Blackpool's iconic Comedy Carpet, classic hand-painted fairground signage and a 5-foot letter 'R', which once graed the entrance to Brighton Pier, renovated and reiagined for the exhibition by neonartist Andy Doig.  

Ditchling's rich typographic legacy will be represented by work from distringuished type designer Edward Johnston, including early proofs of his enduring London Underground typeface 'Johnston Sans'. 

The exhibtion will take the visitor on a journey throuh the decades - highlighting the importance of graphic design at the height of the seaside's popularity in the early 20th century, through the inter-war years, post-war national events such as the Festival of Britain, and innovations in design in the present day.