Gift Box: 4 button badges (British Direction Signs)

This elegant matchbox-style gift box contains four designs from Stereohype's growing button badge collection – now available for the first time in this superb packaging solution. A rose-gold foil-blocked Stereohype mascot squirrel was hand-printed in the UK at the top of the gift box (outside dimensions: 75 x 72 x 16mm). Inside the beautiful matt black cardboard gift box is a black flock pad and badges are directly pinned into it. All Stereohype button badges available at stereohype.com are classic high quality one inch (25mm) metal back badges with so-called D-pin (although it looks more like an 'e'). Tiny stickers at the back of each button badge mention the artist, release date, series number, etc. Badges are manufactured with love and care in the United Kingdom.

This artwork is also available as Button Badge Motif Print.

All four badge designs feature details of direction signs on British roads. Phil Baines has long been fascinated by this subject and has written about aspects of it in Eye magazine and other publications. 1—‘Fingerpost’ as suggested by the 1919 Campbell Geddes Memorandum. Within certain common size restrictions, manufacturers and local authorities were given considerable latitude in the design of direction signs, this is based on an example in Cornwall. 2—‘Through route in urban areas’ sign. 1957 revision of the 1933/1944 regulations. 3—Footpath sign based on an example by Bedfordshire County Council. Date unknown but presumed to be 1960s. 4—Motorway sign designed by Kinnier Calvert for the Anderson committee on Motorway Signs and introduced on the Preston By-Pass in 1958.

Phil Baines’ practice has several strands but includes print work for leading publishers and arts organisations notably Matt’s Gallery; lettering for memorials including the 7 July 2005 Bombings Memorial in London’s Hyde Park; and the rebranding and exhibition design of Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft. Somehow he combines this with teaching at Central Saint Martins, UAL where he is Professor of Typography, and curates the Central Lettering Record with Catherine Dixon with whom he also wrote Signs, lettering in the environment, (2003).

External links: publiclettering.org.uk / arts.ac.uk/...

Created by: Phil Baines