This is the story of Johnston Sans, a character-set created for the London Underground in 1915, and the challenges involved in updating an iconic typeface. I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that the subject might be a little dry, but the story isn’t. It’s a fascinating look at not only the evolution of an icon and a symbol of London, but also at the personalities that led to its creation in the first place, and how necessity was very much the mother of invention.
