Gentlemen of Letters

The gentlemen of Letters is a short film showing the work of sign painters in Dublin and how the tradition builds a significant part in the cities heritage. The documentary looks at the history of sign painters over the years and the importance they have to businesses, impacting the way visitors judge the quality of services and products they expect to receive.

The main points in the video:

• Signage = communication 
• Signs can be found and used on trains, aeroplanes, boats
• People take a lot of notice of art and signs. It is thought that the human touch is more valuable.
• Signs give a good or bad impression for tourists of whether to go into a shop or restaurant and what level of quality they are expecting to experience/receive.
• The spacing (kerning) needs to be even or it would lack the professional finish that is needed to give a good impression to those viewing the sign.
• Communicates atmosphere

The F.X. BUCKLEY sign is thought to be the best sign on the street in Dublin. 

The handprinted signs shows the quality of the butchers and that it should provide a very personal and good service. The hand painted sign also suggests an element of tradition which is often highly valued by many customers as all food categories are commonly all placed in the supermarket.

When taking photos in villages/towns/cities, they should never be deleted as in a few year to come, a particular sign of shop may not be there any longer. The hand-painted signs are part of the Heritage to Dublin and create a lot of the history within the city. 

“you make your mind up really quickly when you visit a city. Where you want to eat, where you want to sit…”