Bert Jarvis

Air Circus JNL A 1930s advertising poster for the Inman Brothers Flying Circus offered up an interesting hand lettered Art Deco design that’s a cross between both squared and rounded character shapes.  Because of it's 'futuristic look', the resulting type style can also lend itself to 1970s and 1980s retro projects as well as those from the 1930s and 1940s. Now a digital font, Air Circus JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. A “Flying Circus” is a troupe of ‘barnstormers’ (stunt pilots) who performed aerial tricks either individually or as a team along with selling airplane rides to the general public.  Air Circus JNL Download Now View Gallery

Rail Travel JNL Here’s yet another interpretation of the classic “thick and thin” sans serif lettering most popular during the Art Deco era. This particular design comes to you through the courtesy of a hand lettered 1930s travel poster from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Some capitals are much wider than others, while the lower case ‘i’ is somewhat truncated. Rail Travel JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Rail Travel JNL Download Now View Gallery

Dancing Marathon JNL The hand lettered title found on the cover of the 1932 sheet music for “Dancing Marathon” inspired the digital revival of this unusual lettering as well as the font’s name. This eccentric Art Deco design (with a slight bit of Art Nouveau mixed in) is a thin, monoline typeface. Dancing Marathon JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Dance marathons got their start during the Great Depression as people desperate to earn a few dollars would enter into contests that went on for hours until the last couple remained standing on the dance floor. Dancing Marathon JNL Download Now View Gallery

Flower Shop JNL A piece of sheet music for “Broken Blossoms” circa the 1920s or early 1930s has its cover title hand lettered in a wide thick-and-thin Art Deco design. This is now available as Flower Shop JNL , in both regular and oblique versions. Flower Shop JNL Download Now View Gallery

Retail Establishment JNL The 1935 catalog for Vitrolite (a brand of pigmented structural glass) featured artist renderings of how the glass could be applied to business exteriors. One of the lettering styles used in these examples was an Art Deco lower case. This design has been turned into a digital typeface called Retail Establishment JNL and is available in both regular and oblique versions. Retail Establishment JNL Download Now View Gallery

Revelry Deco JNL The namesake for this type design was the dust jacket for the 1926 book “Revelry”. A classic Art Deco thick-and-thin design, Revelry Deco JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions. Revelry Deco JNL Download Now View Gallery

Eutaw Stencil JNL A hand lettered emulation of a Roman stencil type face on the cover of the folio for the Stenso School Set was the basis for Eutaw Stencil JNL , which is available in both regular and oblique versions. The Stenso School Set (circa 1940-41) was comprised of three stencils – two lettering guides and a map of the [then] 48 United States. Developed and patented by Baltimore school teacher Ruth Libauer Hormats, her stencils were the first to offer a system for accurate letter spacing and ease of use. “Eutaw” (as part of the font’s name) is taken from Eutaw Place, the street where Ruth and her husband lived at the time of Stenso’s inception. To the Cherokee, the name means “Creek Indian”. Eutaw Stencil JNL Download Now View Gallery

Bill of Fare JNL A 1942 menu cover for the restaurant at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles features its name in a stylized Art Deco serif design. This is has been turned into the digital typeface Bill of Fare JNL , and is available in both regular and oblique versions. Bill of Fare JNL Download Now View Gallery

Vacation Resort JNL The hand lettered cast and production credits for the 1942 music comedy “Holiday Inn” (starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire) inspired Vacation Resort JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Vacation Resort JNL Download Now View Gallery

Packaged Cookies JNL An image found online of the first [1923] “Oreo Sandwich” package provided a type inspiration from the pen-lettered block sans with rounded corners used for the product's name. Prior to 1923, the cookies were sold in boxes or tins.   The result is Packaged Cookies JNL , which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Packaged Cookies JNL Download Now View Gallery

Packaged Cookies JNL An image found online of the first [1923] “Oreo Sandwich” package provided a type inspiration from the pen-lettered block sans with rounded corners used for the product's name. Prior to 1923, the cookies were sold in boxes or tins.   The result is Packaged Cookies JNL , which is available in both regular and oblique versions. Packaged Cookies JNL Download Now View Gallery