public typography: historic soulard farmer's market
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Public Typography BookTRANSCRIPT
Public TypographyH i s t o r i c S o u l a r d F a r m e r s M a r k e t
Homegrown
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All around Soulard Farmer’s Market, there are multiple signs greeting you and
welcoming you into the historic building. These signs vary in size from large banners
that hang from the ceiling to small banners located throughout the halls on wooden posts.
HistoryIn downtown Saint Louis lies the Soulard neighborhood.
Soulard neighborhood is home to many historic restaurants
and shops, but one of the most well known historic buildings
is the Soulard Market. The name Soulard comes from a man
named Antoine Soulard. Antoine was a colonial French
surveyor for the Spanish. When he died, his widowed wife
gave two blocks of land to be used as a permanent market
in the city, which just happens to be the land that the Soulard
Market started on.
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Soulard Farmer’s market is the oldest market in the United
States. The roots of the Soulard Market goes back to an
open-air farmer’s market in the area. With that market
dating back to 1779, Soulard Farmer’s Market is only 15
years younger than the city of Saint Louis. The market moved
to its present site in 1838. The Grand Hall that it currently
resides was built 91 years later in 1929.
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8 Produce
18 Specialty Shops
Food Stands
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SPECIALTY SHOPS
Produce
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“Written or printed words are a visual
representation of the spoken word.”
- Tosh
The signs that the vendor creates to display their produce is very simple and
done with the materials that are available to them. Simple highlighter and permanent
marker are used to make sure the sign is seen.
Soulard Farmer’s Market is one of the most historic areas
in Saint Louis. There are many different reasons why
people go to this particular market. This market has
so much personality and it is evident as soon as you
walk through the doors. Each person adds their own
characteristics to the environment through their stands.
The most popular type of stand located at the Soulard
Market is the produce stand. The Soulard Market is
where anyone can purchase pretty much any fruit or
vegetable for the best price in Saint Louis and it will also
be the freshest produce anyone can find. The reason it is
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Produce
These particular signs at a potato stand are displayed on wooden sticks and the
handwritten type is hard to read. In most cases, it is unreadable. What grabs the
attention it the height they are displayed at.
Baetje Farms
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Baetje Farms is a company that has been selling goat and sheep milk cheeses since
2007. That year in November was the first time that Baetje Farms started to sell at
Soulard Farmer’s Market. The company is classified as a farmstead artisan cheese
company that milks 50 goats, but only has seven employees that help turn the milk into
cheese. Baetje’s favorite part of being a vendor at Soulard is the customers and being
a part of a market that is such a historical place in Saint Louis.
the freshest and cheapest is because the
produce comes straight from the farms
around Saint Louis.
Each and every one of the stands are
created based on the farm the produce
comes from and the people that are
running the stand. The majority of the
signage created are of the vernacular
form. Vernacular type is “unfinished, un-
professionally created and hand-done
signs and handbills that comprise a great
part of our everyday visual experience”
(Tosh). These signs have characteristics
of vernacular type because it is obvious
“Vernacular signs are mostly
produced by amateurs who would
prefer something more professional.”
- Tosh
This vegetable stand provides customers with many different choices, therefore they would need multiple signs to describe what they are selling. Writing out their signs get attention and cost less money.
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This vegetable stand has more thought into the way they display their signage. It
is homemade type and is actually readable. They are displayed on wooden slabs, which
gives it a nicer look when compared to others.
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“Let us not lose the simple joy
of looking at design and art.”
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- Tosh
that each and every letter was hand-done. The
reason why all the type is done in highlighter and
permanent marker is because those are the utensils
that are on hand for these farmers. There is no need
for the farmers to have signs that are professionally
created. When the seasons change, the produce
offered changes. Therefore, the farmers would
have to have signs created for produce from every
season, which would cost a lot of money that is
not necessary to spend, especially since they are
selling their food for such low prices to begin with.
This apple stand sells all types of apples and it is clear that stacking the fruit was the priority for the customer to see. Signage was hung above the fruit in order to not cover the fruit and also inform.
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Specialty Shops
“Public lettering can contribute
to the way we respond to the
places and spaces we visit.”
- Tosh
This stand sold home grown spices that a couple made out of their home. The sign was created by cutting out letters and decorated with shiny details and is partnered with another sign written with marker.
Along with the produce stands, there are also other specialty
stands at the Soulard Farmer’s Market that focus on other
talents that Saint Louis natives posses. These stands can
range from bakeries, flower shops, incense shops, spice
shops, meat shops, and the list just goes on and on.
All of these various shops offer professionally made
signage and type, at least for the most part. The
type chosen is immature, but there is no expectation
for the signage to be sophisticated. It is made to
characterize the store and give it personality. It is also
found that these shops layer their signs to give their
Speciality Shops
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The one bakery at Soulard Farmer’s Market has at least ten signs of different natures in their window. All the signs are overlapping with one another and are cluttered. Each sign displays different things they sell.
customers more messages. It is clear that
there is no sense of organization, which
makes all the signage very cluttered and
it is hard to read all of the messages, but
once again, that is what is expected from
customers. If the stores were clean and
sophisticated, that would take away from
the uniqueness of the stores. If they were
well branded, they would be like any
other store and there would be no other
purpose to go to these specialty shops at
the Soulard Market.
Although the type is more professional, it
“Regional and professional
vernacular type and
images usually overlap.”
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- Tosh
Heaven Sent Home Spun
Heaven Sent Home Spun is a handcrafted soap and body care vendor at Soulard
Farmer’s Market. They also sell a huge array of natural foods and herbs and spices.
The company is a family run company that was created in 2002 by Nova Wright. The
purpose of the small company is to make available the finest body care possible and to
grace the world with fantastic scents. Heaven Sent Home Spun has been a vendor at
Soulard since January of 2009. Being there for nearly four years, Nova Wright claims
that her favorite thing about Soulard is the vast array of humanity that they engage with.
This particular stand used wooden signs and decorations to attract customers to their table. The type on the signs are painted on and gives the stand a country home feel, which suits their home made products.
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In the middle of the market lies a convenience store that sells multiple items. This store was one of the first at the market, which is very old. All the type in the store displays its age and creates an antique look.
is still in the vernacular category. The type
that is created on the signs is so unique
that it stands out compared to all the other
signage in the area. That is the goal that
all of the stores and shops should strive
to achieve. There are too many stands,
stores and shops in one area and they
should not want to blend in with all of the
others. They need to have something that
is different. According to Paul Tosh, there
is a real joy in the creation of something
that is uniquely theirs, no matter the warts
and flaws.
The main key for a store to survive in an
environment like a farmer’s market is that
they must stand out. The various different
signs and type that is created achieves
this goal and that is why all of these shops
are successful.
“The simplest vernacular
typography is simply hand-crafted
type and text, with no images.”
- Tosh
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The single spice store is located in the middle of the market and has been located there
for years. They sell all sorts of homemade spices, herbs and oils. The signage gives
an antique and homemade look to the store.
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Food Stands
- Tosh
“Often, nature lends its hand, degrading
or deconstructing the image and
typography, lending an even more unique
representation and interpretation of the art.”
Throughout the Soulard Market, there are many places to test different foods
from the region. There are also many trash containers from all the fresh food served,
which is why they use disposible containers.
In a different wing from the fresh produce being sold, there are
many local stores that set up shop and sell the various
types of fresh food they offer for people to buy and
eat right there while they walk through the rest of the
market. There are many stands that sell things from
fresh lemonade to shaved ice to homemade chili. These
people selling these items are not from established
businesses, but from ordinary households and families,
just like you and me. Producing fresh food straight out
of a travel cart can be expensive and troubling. The last
thing they worry about is how attractive their signage
Food Stands
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Peter’s Pork Rinds is a family run business that sells all different flavors of pork rinds.
They also tend to sell other snacks too, including kettle corn, peanuts, and trail mix
that are all made in their home in Saint Louis.
“Hand-done signs comprise a
great part of our everyday life.”
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The Gringo Goose is a small vendor that first started out at Soulard Farmer’s Market.
Sarah Nodine, founder and co-owner, created The Gringo Goose after her father and
his sweet and spicy pepper relish that he used to make years ago. They call this relish
Goose Poop. Sarah’s favorite memory at the Soulard Market was the first time they ever
sold out. They sold 14 cases in four hours!
The Gringo Goose
- Tosh
is as long as the people who pass by
can see what they are making and hope
that they will stop at their stand over the
hundreds next to them. However, there are
the few that decide to create a handmade
feel that shows they are completely made
by themselves and so the customer can
further appreciate the work that they do.
As well as having various food carts, there
are also different cafes and restaurants.
The cafes have signage ranging from neon
lights to professional prints. Although these
forms of signage are more permanent,
they are still in bad shape. The neon
boards that you can write on are old
and worn down and the printed signs
are still poor quality. Even though there
are more professional signs, there is still
a huge amount of handwritten type. It
is still evident that stores do not want to
spend a lot of money on better looking
type and do what they can on a budget.
Julia’s Market Cafe is a cafe known all around Saint Louis. They are mostly known for their bloody mary’s. Residents will travel to the market just to get the famous bloody mary’s after a fun night in the city.
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When walking around the market, coffee can be detected from hundreds of feet away.
The coffee is only one drink that is craved when at the market. During the holidays
there is also hot apple cider and hot cocoa.
“We must never forget that the
words being visually expressed
actually say something.”
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- Tosh
However, these cafes and restaurants are not
judged on the signs they provide. It is even stated
by Paul Tosh that they could even be a more honest
presentation of what the store owner wants to say
to their customer, meaning the owner wants to say
their food is home made. The overall signage fits
well with the historic feel of the Soulard Market.
That historic and homemade feel makes the
customers comfortable and that is exactly what
is expected of the stores from their customers.
While walking around the Soulard Farmer’s Market, most customers decide
to enjoy a refreshing beverage or munch on a soft pretzel or eat a cup of chili. At the
Soulard Market, the possibilites are endless.
Soulard Farmer’s Market is one of the oldest
locations in Saint Louis. When people talk
about the glory of the city, Soulard Market is
sure to come up. The type and decor around
the market give it a welcoming feel that a
visitor would never forget and would make
them wanting to come back for more. Soulard
Farmer’s Market will always be a part of the
city and the natives of the city would not have
it any other way.
Legacy
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The current building of the Soulard Farmer’s Market has been used for decades. Some
of the type located within have also been there for that long. The overall history of
this building is very important to the city.
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Sources Lettering on Buildings by Nicolete Gray
The Un-Cultured Word: Vernacular Typography and Image by Paul Tosh
Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel T3
Typefaces Memphis , Futura
VISC 402 Designer as Author
Patrick Dooley
Fall 2012
The University of Kansas
Credits
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