LA's "BREW 102"

[Cajonpassfan]

So I'm working on the "Brew 102" background building for my LA 1st St. Yard. For you caligraphy experts, what's the font I should use on the building model?
Advice appreciated,
Otto K.

[SandyEggoJake]

Hi Otto,

I'm no font expert, but to my eyes the numbers actually look close to an ulta condensed version of railroad roman.  Note 2 with the ball at the top end, and the "tilde" base.  Classic roman. 

I've been trying different tools for font id, and recently returned to one which purports to allow one to upload an image, crop and select shapes, and it then matches to commercially available fonts.   https://www.fontsquirrel.com/matcherator

Your images didn't seem crisp enough, so I ran this one (http://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/.a/6a010535ce1cf6970c0133ec3f2d61970b-pi).  And yet none of the suggested fonts seemed as closed to railroad roman.

By the way, looking at images of Brew 102 logos, it seems they changed the font a lot,  Not even sure if the fonts of the letters and number match nor the fonts in the two different signs in your original image.

Hope this helps... but I doubt it helps much! 

Cheers,
Jake

[C855B]

As I've said before, signage, especially old signage, breaks all the rules about typography. It's whatever the sign painter was in the mood for that day, usually at the direction of the customer, "Oh, make it look like this if you can...". We are so accustomed to tightly-managed über-corporate advertising imagery these days it's just so tough to wrap our heads around the variability of old-school signage. It doesn't help that Brew 102 (I grew-up in the L.A. area) was a schlock outfit to begin with.

So... my advice is to poke around and find something you think is close, "Oh, make it look like this if you can...".  

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks guys! Mike, point taken.
Jake, great aerial photo link! I have it also, but taken a little after the top of the west building came down (that's where the painted sign was). It also shows nicely the Friedman Bag Co. building next door. I'll need to fake a piece of it, like that sign also
Btw, note the ATSF S2/4 switcher in full zebra in the street out back. It gives nice scale to the urban scene.
Fun stuff!
Otto K.

[SandyEggoJake]

@Cajonpassfan

you might have seen on the Cajon Yahoo group, but a link was passed around today showing another view of the same building complex you are modeling...



https://www.flickr.com/photos/76677346@N04/33774201455/in/photolist-TsvBqc-aeToyQ-gCPFdT-q2MXxL-shaR9w-SjU1eu-7NMgUw-a32CvR-URpNVE-7UaAgb-ixR8Cm-p8e28u-pDSDBM-ybFiN7-c9pTwd-LQNui-gCRFBg-D3tAKi-dHokgy-7UVPy1-cUnmSE-gAWk9n-nLm5MD-fXc3mK-etBEeF-s3Hg21-gCRZc6-bMnq86-U5V8EL-mnzrJD-8xwyZ2-zyCX4V-pbeLKK-Rn7n4j-rHGKJr-JfiZeE-7xdMuW-C1uL2B-CmQCf1-9dp15h-Tbz7xu-7UaAvh-dsUqyj-4YmAzU-XgJzAK-736qVu-hAAvRi-TKBkhV-5bzFox-zyCX7F

[Ed Kapuscinski]

As I've said before, signage, especially old signage, breaks all the rules about typography. It's whatever the sign painter was in the mood for that day, usually at the direction of the customer, "Oh, make it look like this if you can...". We are so accustomed to tightly-managed über-corporate advertising imagery these days it's just so tough to wrap our heads around the variability of old-school signage. It doesn't help that Brew 102 (I grew-up in the L.A. area) was a schlock outfit to begin with.

So... my advice is to poke around and find something you think is close, "Oh, make it look like this if you can...".  

Amen to this!!!

These days, we have "sign printers" back then, there were "sign painters".

[C855B]

@Cajonpassfan
you might have seen on the Cajon Yahoo group, but a link was passed around today showing another view of the same building complex you are modeling...

What stood out to me in that particular image was the visible signage, and it was actually in a real font, Futura Bold Condensed. That would make at least a little bit of sense, as this typeface was new in 1927, and therefore "modern" and "trendy". I would conjecture that an image-conscious business manager might have specified that the sign painter adhere to the designed face. Very interesting!

[Cajonpassfan]

@Cajonpassfan

you might have seen on the Cajon Yahoo group, but a link was passed around today showing another view of the same building complex you are modeling...

Yes, thank you, I did see it on the Cajon Yahoo group, a great street level shot, it would make a great industry to model. Love the ATSF S2 in partial zebra scheme sitting in the street, it gives the brewery and especially the gas tank on the right a sense of real scale. That also answers the question about whether partial zebra paint schemes were still around in 1950.

But to say I'm modeling the brewery complex would be an exaggeration. All I have room for is about 4" depth along Aliso St., the side facing left in the photo. I do have room for the monster tank, L.A. Gas Holder #2. I'm also modeling it as a background building (and view block). It's roughed in and is 8.5" in diameter and over 16" tall, the biggest baddest structure on the layout... not quite as big as the original, but big enough.
Thank you for your interest.
Otto K.

[Cajonpassfan]

What stood out to me in that particular image was the visible signage, and it was actually in a real font, Futura Bold Condensed. That would make at least a little bit of sense, as this typeface was new in 1927, and therefore "modern" and "trendy". I would conjecture that an image-conscious business manager might have specified that the sign painter adhere to the designed face. Very interesting!

Thanks Mike, I assume you're referring to the "Select" Beer sign behind the engine? What a cool sign, but I don't have that side facing the viewer...see my notes above.
Thanks for your interest, and helpful comments.
Otto

[nickelplate759]

by the way, you should include the two giant gas storage tanks in the backround somehow (looks like they were across the street from the brewery - maybe in the backdrop?) - and tell people they are for beer.

[Cajonpassfan]

Great idea George. Why didn't I think of it? Wait, I did, see my reply#7 above...
Only have room for one though, but it's BIG...
Now that I think about it, I could make it a beer container, I would hold over three gallons
On second thought, knowing my friends....
Thanks for your interest,
Otto K.

[SandyEggoJake]

>I would hold over three gallons (of beer)

ohhh now that is an idea....... just think of using that tank to actually do home brew!  if for nothing else, than to give your layout that authentic beer smell!

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/micro-bru-starter-kit-and-keg-system-w-hop-monster-ipa

[Cajonpassfan]

Eeewww, I'm not sure I want to do that. The authentic Brew 102 didn't elicit too many positive memories...The things we learn model railroading!   
Otto

[nickelplate759]

Great idea George. Why didn't I think of it? Wait, I did, see my reply#7 above...
Only have room for one though, but it's BIG...
Now that I think about it, I could make it a beer container, I would hold over three gallons
On second thought, knowing my friends....
Thanks for your interest,
Otto K.

oops, so you did!    Somehow I missed that bit.

[Cajonpassfan]

Well George, you're still welcome here, to have a beer
Otto K.