Mid Century Type Specialist NGS London

NGS Soho Mid Century Lettering Style – Breaking the mould

NGS Soho Mid-Century Lettering

NGS Soho Mid-Century lettering is shaped very much by post-war Britain, a tough period of recovery rebuilding, renewed hope, and a belief in bold new change and design. It emerged prior to a revolutionary era when art, fashion, architecture, music, graphics, sexuality and public space were rethought to serve everyday life more clearly and openly – yet is contributed with it’s pragmatice visual accord giving the often unbelievable 60s the incredibly important power of truth and dependability – Soho Bold mid century style says Yes, it’s definately happening!

The lettering is at first glance bold and direct, built from strong sans-serif forms and simple geometry. Stroke weights are confident and occasionally eared or inconsistent, revealing the raw hand crafting of the work. These variations introduce passion and character, a distinctly differing path than that found in the neutrality of emerging mechanical sans serif type such as Helvetica and Swiss. They started out in the same space but moved [in part] in different directions, intentions and fields.

Its London centric roots sit alongside the influence of Edward Johnston, who taught lettering and calligraphy in London at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Holborn, as well as at the Royal College of Art, helping to form a generation of British typographers and calligraphers. Johnston believed that lettering should be clear, useful, and public — a belief that shaped modern British typography. Adrian Frutiger later described typography as something that should “invite the eye, not demand it.” The influence of Bauhaus is present as principle rather than style — reduction, function, and clarity in service of everyday life.

During the 1950s and 60s, this visual language developed alongside wider cultural momentum. Britain was producing not only new housing and infrastructure, but new music, fashion, and youth culture that drew global attention. As Elvis Presley put it, “When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” Confidence, visibility, and individuality were becoming shared values.

A splash of life – 60s London, in particular, was emerging as a global centre of pop art, fashion and political influence. The Beatles recorded at Abbey Road while redefining popular music, and the darlings of Dartford, The Rolling Stones brought raw, public energy to live performance, notably at the Roundhouse alongside Clapton and Hendrix. Music, graphics, and the street were increasingly connected — to be seen, heard, and shared.

At the heart of this massive burst of passion and cultural exchange was Soho.

Denamrk Street aka ‘Tin Pan Alley‘ acted as a meeting point for writers, musicians, designers, and publishers. It was here that ideas circulated freely, shaping friendships and collaborations — including the early friendship between Marc Bolan and David Bowie, whose shared belief in reinvention and self-expression exploded tradition and defined the period of social/gender/sexual equality. Bowie reflected: “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”

NGS Soho Mid-Century lettering carries a bedrock of instinct for clear simple communication style, enabling even this most complex or agenda laden ideas voice and plateform. It is type face designed to be seen and understood at scale, suitable for exterior and declaration signage, interior statements, and identity work, it balances tough structure with quirkiy moments of human irregularity — born when London and UK was head turning, drawing breath and influences from it’s neighbours across the waters, looking outward, and the world was looking in.

ABSOLUTELY SOHO

ABSOLUTELY