Men of Letters
Poster
Jim Donoahue
1969
Men of Letters – poster, Cooper & Beatty, Jim Donoahue, 1969
Before modern office buildings transformed cityscapes, shop storefronts boasted a dazzling array of colourful highly individualistic signs. Many featured cut-out, three-dimensional letters – often gilded in gold leaf. Some of the letters were manufactured by large sign suppliers, while others were custom-made by local sign shops.
Notes
Long-time Cooper & Beatty designer Jim Donoahue created numerous posters for the company, showcasing letterforms from a variety of sources. This particular piece was the first in what became informally known as the ‘collection series’ – a much sought-after set of posters. For years, it would have been almost impossible to step into a design studio in Toronto without seeing at least one prominently displayed.
Donoahue recognized that typographers are interested in more than just type – they are drawn to all forms of lettering. The popularity of this poster confirmed his insight. He also understood that the company’s identity didn’t always have to rely on its official logo, opting instead to creatively form ‘C&B’ using three old letters from the collection.
When not featured in this poster these magnificent old sign letters adorned the office of then Cooper & Beatty President, Jim McLean, making a dazzling display that left a lasting impression on visitors. – Rod McDonald
Artifact Text
From Cooper & Beatty, Limited, men of letters, at 401 Wellington West, Toronto, Canada
Items in this Collection
Canned Typography
Poster
Jim Donoahue
1971
Matchbook Typography
Poster
Liam McDonnell
c1979
Title: Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor
Media format description
We will be posting more like this. If you have work or insights that you would be willing to share with the CTA we would like to hear from you. Please contact us to contribute.
Artifact
Article Data
Date
1969
Title
Men of Letters
Description
Poster
Four-colour poster
14.75 × 24 inches
Client
Cooper & Beatty, LimitedCredits
Agency:
Studio:
Creative_Director:
Art_Director:
Design: Jim Donoahue
Typography:
Hand_Lettering:
Calligraphy:
Illustration:
Art:
Author:
Writing:
Printing:
Biography:
Principal Typefaces
Display: Various three-dimensional sign letters
Text: Helvetica
Find more:
Region
Ontario
Language
English
Holding
Related Documents & Links
Copyright Status
Artifact copyright
CTA was unable to clarify rights but welcomes contact from rights holders to resolve permissions, if required, and will remove digitized works at the rights holder’s request. CTA makes digitized works available for education and research. Responsibility for any use rests with the user.
Notes copyright
Accompanying notes are licensed under Creative Commons licensing CCbyNC which allows for non-commercial use with attribute.
We will be posting more like this. If you have work or insights that you would be willing to share with the CTA we would like to hear from you. Please contact us to contribute.