Public TypographyH i s t o r i c S o u l a r d F a r m e r s M a r k e t

Homegrown

0302

All around Soulard Farmer’s Market, there are multiple signs greeting you and

welcoming you into the historic building. These signs vary in size from large banners

that hang from the ceiling to small banners located throughout the halls on wooden posts.

HistoryIn downtown Saint Louis lies the Soulard neighborhood.

Soulard neighborhood is home to many historic restaurants

and shops, but one of the most well known historic buildings

is the Soulard Market. The name Soulard comes from a man

named Antoine Soulard. Antoine was a colonial French

surveyor for the Spanish. When he died, his widowed wife

gave two blocks of land to be used as a permanent market

in the city, which just happens to be the land that the Soulard

Market started on.

0504

Soulard Farmer’s market is the oldest market in the United

States. The roots of the Soulard Market goes back to an

open-air farmer’s market in the area. With that market

dating back to 1779, Soulard Farmer’s Market is only 15

years younger than the city of Saint Louis. The market moved

to its present site in 1838. The Grand Hall that it currently

resides was built 91 years later in 1929.

728

8 Produce

18 Specialty Shops

Food Stands

0706

SPECIALTY SHOPS

Produce

0908

“Written or printed words are a visual

representation of the spoken word.”

- Tosh

The signs that the vendor creates to display their produce is very simple and

done with the materials that are available to them. Simple highlighter and permanent

marker are used to make sure the sign is seen.

Soulard Farmer’s Market is one of the most historic areas

in Saint Louis. There are many different reasons why

people go to this particular market. This market has

so much personality and it is evident as soon as you

walk through the doors. Each person adds their own

characteristics to the environment through their stands.

The most popular type of stand located at the Soulard

Market is the produce stand. The Soulard Market is

where anyone can purchase pretty much any fruit or

vegetable for the best price in Saint Louis and it will also

be the freshest produce anyone can find. The reason it is

1110

Produce

These particular signs at a potato stand are displayed on wooden sticks and the

handwritten type is hard to read. In most cases, it is unreadable. What grabs the

attention it the height they are displayed at.

Baetje Farms

1312

Baetje Farms is a company that has been selling goat and sheep milk cheeses since

2007. That year in November was the first time that Baetje Farms started to sell at

Soulard Farmer’s Market. The company is classified as a farmstead artisan cheese

company that milks 50 goats, but only has seven employees that help turn the milk into

cheese. Baetje’s favorite part of being a vendor at Soulard is the customers and being

a part of a market that is such a historical place in Saint Louis.

the freshest and cheapest is because the

produce comes straight from the farms

around Saint Louis.

Each and every one of the stands are

created based on the farm the produce

comes from and the people that are

running the stand. The majority of the

signage created are of the vernacular

form. Vernacular type is “unfinished, un-

professionally created and hand-done

signs and handbills that comprise a great

part of our everyday visual experience”

(Tosh). These signs have characteristics

of vernacular type because it is obvious

“Vernacular signs are mostly

produced by amateurs who would

prefer something more professional.”

- Tosh

This vegetable stand provides customers with many different choices, therefore they would need multiple signs to describe what they are selling. Writing out their signs get attention and cost less money.

1514

This vegetable stand has more thought into the way they display their signage. It

is homemade type and is actually readable. They are displayed on wooden slabs, which

gives it a nicer look when compared to others.

7

“Let us not lose the simple joy

of looking at design and art.”

1716

- Tosh

that each and every letter was hand-done. The

reason why all the type is done in highlighter and

permanent marker is because those are the utensils

that are on hand for these farmers. There is no need

for the farmers to have signs that are professionally

created. When the seasons change, the produce

offered changes. Therefore, the farmers would

have to have signs created for produce from every

season, which would cost a lot of money that is

not necessary to spend, especially since they are

selling their food for such low prices to begin with.

This apple stand sells all types of apples and it is clear that stacking the fruit was the priority for the customer to see. Signage was hung above the fruit in order to not cover the fruit and also inform.

1918

Specialty Shops

“Public lettering can contribute

to the way we respond to the

places and spaces we visit.”

- Tosh

This stand sold home grown spices that a couple made out of their home. The sign was created by cutting out letters and decorated with shiny details and is partnered with another sign written with marker.

Along with the produce stands, there are also other specialty

stands at the Soulard Farmer’s Market that focus on other

talents that Saint Louis natives posses. These stands can

range from bakeries, flower shops, incense shops, spice

shops, meat shops, and the list just goes on and on.

All of these various shops offer professionally made

signage and type, at least for the most part. The

type chosen is immature, but there is no expectation

for the signage to be sophisticated. It is made to

characterize the store and give it personality. It is also

found that these shops layer their signs to give their

Speciality Shops

20

2120

The one bakery at Soulard Farmer’s Market has at least ten signs of different natures in their window. All the signs are overlapping with one another and are cluttered. Each sign displays different things they sell.

customers more messages. It is clear that

there is no sense of organization, which

makes all the signage very cluttered and

it is hard to read all of the messages, but

once again, that is what is expected from

customers. If the stores were clean and

sophisticated, that would take away from

the uniqueness of the stores. If they were

well branded, they would be like any

other store and there would be no other

purpose to go to these specialty shops at

the Soulard Market.

Although the type is more professional, it

“Regional and professional

vernacular type and

images usually overlap.”

2322

- Tosh

Heaven Sent Home Spun

Heaven Sent Home Spun is a handcrafted soap and body care vendor at Soulard

Farmer’s Market. They also sell a huge array of natural foods and herbs and spices.

The company is a family run company that was created in 2002 by Nova Wright. The

purpose of the small company is to make available the finest body care possible and to

grace the world with fantastic scents. Heaven Sent Home Spun has been a vendor at

Soulard since January of 2009. Being there for nearly four years, Nova Wright claims

that her favorite thing about Soulard is the vast array of humanity that they engage with.

This particular stand used wooden signs and decorations to attract customers to their table. The type on the signs are painted on and gives the stand a country home feel, which suits their home made products.

2524

In the middle of the market lies a convenience store that sells multiple items. This store was one of the first at the market, which is very old. All the type in the store displays its age and creates an antique look.

is still in the vernacular category. The type

that is created on the signs is so unique

that it stands out compared to all the other

signage in the area. That is the goal that

all of the stores and shops should strive

to achieve. There are too many stands,

stores and shops in one area and they

should not want to blend in with all of the

others. They need to have something that

is different. According to Paul Tosh, there

is a real joy in the creation of something

that is uniquely theirs, no matter the warts

and flaws.

The main key for a store to survive in an

environment like a farmer’s market is that

they must stand out. The various different

signs and type that is created achieves

this goal and that is why all of these shops

are successful.

“The simplest vernacular

typography is simply hand-crafted

type and text, with no images.”

- Tosh

7

2726

The single spice store is located in the middle of the market and has been located there

for years. They sell all sorts of homemade spices, herbs and oils. The signage gives

an antique and homemade look to the store.

2928

Food Stands

- Tosh

“Often, nature lends its hand, degrading

or deconstructing the image and

typography, lending an even more unique

representation and interpretation of the art.”

Throughout the Soulard Market, there are many places to test different foods

from the region. There are also many trash containers from all the fresh food served,

which is why they use disposible containers.

In a different wing from the fresh produce being sold, there are

many local stores that set up shop and sell the various

types of fresh food they offer for people to buy and

eat right there while they walk through the rest of the

market. There are many stands that sell things from

fresh lemonade to shaved ice to homemade chili. These

people selling these items are not from established

businesses, but from ordinary households and families,

just like you and me. Producing fresh food straight out

of a travel cart can be expensive and troubling. The last

thing they worry about is how attractive their signage

Food Stands

3130

Peter’s Pork Rinds is a family run business that sells all different flavors of pork rinds.

They also tend to sell other snacks too, including kettle corn, peanuts, and trail mix

that are all made in their home in Saint Louis.

“Hand-done signs comprise a

great part of our everyday life.”

3332

The Gringo Goose is a small vendor that first started out at Soulard Farmer’s Market.

Sarah Nodine, founder and co-owner, created The Gringo Goose after her father and

his sweet and spicy pepper relish that he used to make years ago. They call this relish

Goose Poop. Sarah’s favorite memory at the Soulard Market was the first time they ever

sold out. They sold 14 cases in four hours!

The Gringo Goose

- Tosh

is as long as the people who pass by

can see what they are making and hope

that they will stop at their stand over the

hundreds next to them. However, there are

the few that decide to create a handmade

feel that shows they are completely made

by themselves and so the customer can

further appreciate the work that they do.

As well as having various food carts, there

are also different cafes and restaurants.

The cafes have signage ranging from neon

lights to professional prints. Although these

forms of signage are more permanent,

they are still in bad shape. The neon

boards that you can write on are old

and worn down and the printed signs

are still poor quality. Even though there

are more professional signs, there is still

a huge amount of handwritten type. It

is still evident that stores do not want to

spend a lot of money on better looking

type and do what they can on a budget.

Julia’s Market Cafe is a cafe known all around Saint Louis. They are mostly known for their bloody mary’s. Residents will travel to the market just to get the famous bloody mary’s after a fun night in the city.

3534

When walking around the market, coffee can be detected from hundreds of feet away.

The coffee is only one drink that is craved when at the market. During the holidays

there is also hot apple cider and hot cocoa.

“We must never forget that the

words being visually expressed

actually say something.”

3736

- Tosh

However, these cafes and restaurants are not

judged on the signs they provide. It is even stated

by Paul Tosh that they could even be a more honest

presentation of what the store owner wants to say

to their customer, meaning the owner wants to say

their food is home made. The overall signage fits

well with the historic feel of the Soulard Market.

That historic and homemade feel makes the

customers comfortable and that is exactly what

is expected of the stores from their customers.

While walking around the Soulard Farmer’s Market, most customers decide

to enjoy a refreshing beverage or munch on a soft pretzel or eat a cup of chili. At the

Soulard Market, the possibilites are endless.

Soulard Farmer’s Market is one of the oldest

locations in Saint Louis. When people talk

about the glory of the city, Soulard Market is

sure to come up. The type and decor around

the market give it a welcoming feel that a

visitor would never forget and would make

them wanting to come back for more. Soulard

Farmer’s Market will always be a part of the

city and the natives of the city would not have

it any other way.

Legacy

3938

The current building of the Soulard Farmer’s Market has been used for decades. Some

of the type located within have also been there for that long. The overall history of

this building is very important to the city.

4140

Sources Lettering on Buildings by Nicolete Gray

The Un-Cultured Word: Vernacular Typography and Image by Paul Tosh

Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel T3

Typefaces Memphis , Futura

VISC 402 Designer as Author

Patrick Dooley

Fall 2012

The University of Kansas

Credits

42