Photos: Paris Signage and Typography

Louise Fili

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.

Start Slideshow

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

1 of 14

Louise Fili

A Monsieur Olivier–style road sign.

2 of 14

Louise Fili

Book cover image, Graphique de la Rue: The Signs of Paris by Louise Fili.

3 of 14

Louise Fili

The bold, red stenciled 1920s type for Paris’ Métro system.

4 of 14

Louise Fili

Classic hand-painted signs.

5 of 14

Louise Fili

French script in neon.

6 of 14

Louise Fili

French script.

7 of 14

Louise Fili

A mosaic by 19th-century Italian artist Giandomenico Facchina as part of the Théâtre Antoine, in the 10th arrondissement.

8 of 14

Louise Fili

A sign "sans mots.”

9 of 14

Louise Fili

An Art Deco sign for the dairy, a designated landmark.

10 of 14

Louise Fili

A mosaic in the Art Nouveau subterranean restrooms beneath the Place de la Madeleine, in the 8th arrondissement.

11 of 14

Louise Fili

A mosaic.

12 of 14

Louise Fili

Hand-painted signage covering one side of the Samaritaine building near Pont Neuf, with Art Nouveau letterforms announcing the department stores’ offerings.

13 of 14

Louise Fili

Futurist-inspired architectural letterforms adorning the grand, curved wall of a primary school designed by architect René Requet-Barville, in the 11th arrondissement.

Replay gallery

In Photos: 40 Years of Gorgeous Parisian Typography

1 of 14

2 of 14

3 of 14

4 of 14

5 of 14

6 of 14

7 of 14

8 of 14

9 of 14

10 of 14

11 of 14

12 of 14

13 of 14

Up Next

Everything in This Slideshow

Your Profile

In Photos: 40 Years of Gorgeous Parisian Typography

1 of 14

2 of 14

3 of 14

4 of 14

5 of 14

6 of 14

7 of 14

8 of 14

9 of 14

10 of 14

11 of 14

12 of 14

13 of 14

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery