SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Letterform Archive Books announces the release of Lettres Décoratives: A Century of French Sign Painters’ Alphabets, a vibrant survey of the letterforms that once adorned streets throughout France. Featuring more than 150 plates drawn from rare chromolithographic albums published between the 1830s and the 1930s, the book captures a century of design at the height of the sign painter’s craft.

At once a definitive resource and a dazzling trip through time, Lettres Décoratives reveals the inventive forms, bold colors, and dramatic effects that once charmed urban wanderers and helped fashion an image of the picturesque French city. Reproductions from twelve large- format albums originally published for use by working sign painters as inspiration, teaching aids, and shows of technical skill faithfully preserve lettering styles ranging from classical to art nouveau and art deco. Surprising dimensional alphabets and eccentric signboards demonstrate the era’s experimental spirit, which produced dramatic lettering that often transcended time and place.

An in-depth introduction by contemporary sign painter Morgane Côme situates the plates within the history of French sign painting, shedding light on the rise of the profession and the role of chromolithographic alphabet albums in spreading stylistic experimentation. Additional texts guide readers through the albums, and period photographs offer immersive views of how these alphabets appeared in the street.

Designed by French studio Violaine & Jérémy, the book’s scale and meticulous reproductions honor the ambition of the original portfolios, while providing an indispensable reference for today’s designers, lettering artists, and historians. Both archival and modern, Lettres Décoratives demonstrates how historic sign painting continues to inform contemporary visual culture.

Morgane Côme is a sign painter based in Quimperlé, France. A native of France, she began her career in London as a graphic designer before turning to sign painting, studying with Mike Meyer and other contemporary masters. She co-founded the London-based signwriting collective The Brusshettes and, since returning to France in 2016, has become a leading practitioner and advocate of the craft. Côme has led signwriting workshops with the graphic design collective Monoro and the Paris lettering and calligraphy training center Incipit, and her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions. She is the author of a forthcoming book on the history and practice of sign painting in France, to be published in 2025 by L’Échappée.