LONDON.- London’s timeless and iconic lettering – the Johnston typeface – was created a century ago for London Underground and since its introduction it has come to represent not just transport but the idea of London. London Transport Museum is marking the 100th anniversary of its introduction to London’s landscape with a number of events including a series of talks, a special Museum Depot Open Weekend, and behind the scenes Johnston Journey tours.

Edward Johnston, a calligrapher, medievalist and craftsman, went on to become the unlikely creator of a new distinctive letterform. Johnston also redesigned the famous transport roundel sign which is recognised as one of the most enduring corporate brand identities in the world. He was invited to create a new lettering system for London Underground that was modern but also reflected tradition. He came up with a design that included classical Roman proportions and the distinctive diamond ‘tittle’ above the lowercase ‘i’ and ‘j’.

The typeface was known initially as ‘Underground’ but later took the eponymous name of ‘Johnston’. A lettering guide was produced for sign-painters, and wood and metal font types were produced for posters, signs and other publicity materials used across London’s transport network.

In the 1970s it was adapted by Eiichi Kono to make it suitable for the typesetting systems of the time. The adapted typeface is still in use today and can be seen by the millions of passengers that travel across the Capital every day.

Sam Mullins, Director for London Transport Museum, said: “Although the name Edward Johnston may only be familiar to a few people, his influence on London has been profound: Johnston is London’s alphabet, part of the city’s character, its essential brand.

“To celebrate 100 years of this enduring Johnston letterform, London Transport Museum and Transport for London will be holding a series of talks, tours, exhibitions and events which are part of the Transported by Design season. The programme explores the history and future of great design and how it can affect our journey experience.”

Events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of London’s calligraphy – the typeface designed by Edward Johnston

The Johnston series of talks

· The Man Who Branded London: Edward Johnston’s Underground Typeface
23 February 2016 - 19:00 to 20:30
Journalist and author Simon Garfield explores the importance of the Johnston typeface and talks about the life and work of the creator, Edward Johnston.

· Go West Young Man, the untold story of Edward Johnston
23 March 2016 - 19:00 to 20:30
Johnston’s grandson, television director Andrew Johnston, tells how a trip to the Wild West of North America in 1898 helped his grandfather make the journey from failed medical student to founder of the 20th Century revival of calligraphy.

· London’s First Fonts
10 May 2016 - 19:00 to 20:30
Join graphic designers and Central Saint Martin’s academics Catherine Dixon and Phil Bains, and explore the importance of lettering from a designer’s point of view. Discover what the London Underground looked like before the introduction of Johnston’s typeface and the impact his font design had on the look and feel of London travel.

· New Johnston: New font - Eiichi Kono in conversation
Date: 7 June 2016 - 19:00 to 20:30
In 1979, Japanese graphic designer Eiichi Kono was given the job of updating the iconic Johnston font – a typeface that had inspired him to become a designer. Join Eiichi in conversation along with journalist Simon Garfield, author of Just my type, and Professor Ewan Clayton, author of The Golden Thread, to find out more about how he went about adapting London’s famous alphabet for the digital age.

All talks take place in the Museum’s Cubic Theatre and start 19:00. Tickets for talks cost £10.00 (£8.00 concessions). Buy 2 talks for £15 and save 25%. Concessions can buy 2 talks for £12 and save 25%.

Behind the Scenes event at the Museum Depot, Acton West London

· The A to Z of London: Acton Open Weekend
23 – 24 April 2016
11:00 – 17:00 (last admission 16:15)
Celebrating the centenary of the Johnston font, the weekend’s events will include calligraphy demonstrations, font making activities, talks about Edward Johnston, and the opportunity to see the Big Steam Print in action, printing on a giant scale using a vintage steam roller called Murphy – courtesy of the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft and the Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre. There will also be rides on the miniature railway, family fun workshops, curator led tours behind the scenes and transport displays brought along by model makers from across the south east of England.

Tickets: £10.00 (£8.00 concessions)

· Museum Depot tours: Johnston Journeys tours
Various dates – must be booked in advance
Perfect for design lovers, this tour explores the collection to see how Edward Johnston’s typeface has been applied over the last century. The Johnston Journeys tours have been made possible with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Tickets: £12.00 (£8.00 concessions)

Museum Depot Open Weekends and Behind the Scenes tours take place at the Museum Depot, 2 Museum Way, 118 – 120 Gunnersbury Lane, Acton, W3 9BQ.

Examples of how the Johnston typeface has been applied and evolved over the last century are on display in the Museum’s new permanent gallery London by Design. The gallery celebrates key moments and important milestones in London’s transport design heritage and shows how British art and design have become deeply and inextricably bound with London’s transport network.

The Johnston centenary events are part of London Transport Museum and Transport for London’s Transported by Design season of events and exhibitions that explore good design on the London transport network and its role in the lives of the millions of customers who use it each day. Transported by Design is supported by Exterion Media. For more information on the season and its events, visit www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/transported-by-design.

A range of exclusive Edward Johnston inspired products will also be launched later this year.