There’s nothing like a stroll through the streets of Paris, with its bustling cafés, jewel-box patisseries, legendary hotels, and iconic Hector Guimard–designed entrances to all Métro stations. From the restaurant rows to the envy-inducing fashion storefronts, the city possesses an aesthetic that is uniquely Parisian, a milieu that is in no small part enhanced by carefully crafted signage influenced by the Art Deco, Belle Époque, Art Nouveau, and Futurist movements. In Graphique de la Rue: The Signs of Paris, out September 1 from Princeton Architectural Press, graphic designer Louise Fili compiles 40 years worth of snapshots capturing the city’s unique, distinctive signage. Read on for a glimpse of her diary-like portfolio of pictorial Paris.
A mosaic by 19th-century Italian artist Giandomenico Facchina as part of the Théâtre Antoine, in the 10th arrondissement.
A mosaic in the Art Nouveau subterranean restrooms beneath the Place de la Madeleine, in the 8th arrondissement.
Hand-painted signage covering one side of the Samaritaine building near Pont Neuf, with Art Nouveau letterforms announcing the department stores’ offerings.
