Post #410686 by Humuhumu on Mon, Sep 29, 2008 3:28 PM

As long as you love it, that's really all that matters... I'm just interested in knowing more about the actual provenance of this item. I'm well aware that lettersetting has been available for quite some time, but the lettering used on this sign is modern:

• The words "Visit" and "Enchanting Land of Pagan Customs" are in a typeface called Freestyle Script. Freestyle Script was created by lettering designer Martin Ware in 1981.

• As mentioned before, the word "GARDENS" is in a typeface called Chicago. Chicago was created by Susan Kare in 1984 to be the system font for Apple.

Just as we can use cars in old photos to date them, typefaces can help us date an item. Since the typefaces used on this item did not exist before 1984, that's the earliest it could have been created.

While these typefaces existed at that date, they are today two of the most commonly installed fonts on computer systems. That leads me to consider that this is an item that was designed originally on a computer, and in that case I would surmise that it was produced much later than the mid-'80s. The yellowing you're seeing on it doesn't automatically say to me that it's old; it's no more a reliable indication of age than crazing on a tiki mug.

My .02, take it or leave it... again, I'm just seeking to understand the history of this item.