Source: http://novahistory.ctevans.net.Courtesy Alexandria [Virginia] Police Department. License: All Rights Reserved.

It isn't much of a picture, but this sign for a shopping mall in Northern Virginia had a big effect on me when I was in high school. Mixing upper-and lowercase forms — what a concept! I started doing lettering that looked like that on all the posters I made for several years. No idea who designed it — probably someone on the staff of the mall architect. I didn't know what the typeface was till I got a copy of Type, by David Gates, in '73. Are the alternate glyphs available in any digital versions?

The current sign, shown below in color and credited to Robyn Nichols, really doesn't do much for me. It looks neglected. I don't live in Virginia anymore, but according to web reports, the mall is a mostly-empty shadow of its former self.

Photo: Chris Purcell. © 1973 by Watson-Guptill Publications. License: All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://novahistory.ctevans.net.License: All Rights Reserved.