Paharganj Type Walk and Show & Tell

I was thrilled to run an updated avatar of my type walk from Delhi Walk Festival a few times this winter. It follows one of the main market streets in Paharganj, a neighbourhood that has existed since the Mughal era and dates back to the early eighteenth century. We start and finish at two important landmarks built during the twilight of British rule in India: the Imperial theatre on one end, and New Delhi Railway Station on the other. Along the way, we play a game of bingo to spot different styles of hand-painted signs, and are introduced to all the Indian and foreign scripts we encounter — over a dozen in total. And as the sun sets on Delhi, participants see scores of neon signs light up the market, learn about the history and science behind neon signs, and discuss their place in pop culture. I’ve been complementing the walk with a show-and-tell of books about Indian scripts, vernacular lettering and sign painting.

Related Blogs

  • Letters of Connaught Place

    Letters of Connaught Place

    This is an abridged form of an that essay first appeared as Issue 3 / Letters of Connaught Place of my newsletter I Spy with my Typographic Eye. Read the original, which includes a list of Instagram accounts that focus on capturing street lettering from Southeast Asia, and subscribe to the newsletter. For some years now, I have tried and failed to…

  • Tester

    Tester

    This is an abridged form of an that essay first appeared as Issue 7 / A Type Tour of Indiranagar of my newsletter I Spy with my Typographic Eye. Read the original, which includes a look at Kannada newspaper nameplates, and subscribe to the newsletter. Last autumn, I found myself in Bangalore and as I spent…