15/10/2008

Fokker DVII



Feel a little guilty for looking at flying-killing-machines but hard not to when it's the Fokker DVII (seen at RAF Hendon). The quasi-harlequin pattern is perhaps inspired by exfoliating Sycamore bark. The beautiful white stencilling is early DIN type I think, although will have to check. It has the DIN formalism but also has an ornamental attitude to the mix of small caps, pictographic arrows, curved baselines.



Here's another image, courtesy of USAF Museum. My friend and ex-studio-mate Harrisson took a trip to the DIN archive in Berlin with Open Source Publishing. See the photos here.



But I liked especially this cover of 'Das Ist Norm'. Just read through H's entry and it appears DIN for the transport system, etc. was designed in 1932; so post-Fokker DVII. OSP are re-drawing DIN using open-source software, for the public domain (for whom it was intended).



Here's another stencilling example from the under-wing-wheel-well of a Messerschmidt Bf109. Rounded stems/terminals, nice open 'c', very nice Eszett.

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