1980s New York City Subway 'R' Train "Roll" Sign

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Traditionally, New York City subway signs are fabricated in this form: the "roll sign." In order to contain all of … Read more Traditionally, New York City subway signs are fabricated in this form: the "roll sign." In order to contain all of the possible routings and services that a given train may run, a sign 'curtain' made of translucent mylar material is printed and then installed upon a pair of rollers in a box on either side of each train car. Motormen and conductors then select the appropriate destination to indicate to passengers where the train is traveling. As a result, this sign displays an incredible number of New York landmarks and destinations. The rollsign practice has been discontinued in recent years, as LCDs and other screens have taken over the job of designation.

The original design, including that of this particular roll, was the brainchild of Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda of Unimark Associates. The two were contracted by the city Transit Authority to develop a sign system with a certain regularity and uniformity, and rolls such as this one matched their design. Their chosen font was Standard Medium, which was the nearest regularly-available typeface to the Helvetica which Vignelli hoped to bring to the United States. This sign, a later variant from the 1980s used on the R32 class of subway cars, makes use of Standard Medium. It details the well-known R train service through Brooklyn and Queens. More such signs are available. See less