no. 71

SELECTED BYMONIKA PARRINDERMOTORWAY SIGNSDESIGNED BYMARGARET CALVERT & JOCK KINNEIR

There’s an oft-quoted motorway sign that when heading out of London on the M1, simply points north. The experience on the road—where a sign can suddenly embody the enigma of travel—is also poignant for Margaret Calvert, a designer of the British system together with Jock Kinneir.

As she recalled in a radio interview with historian Joe Kerr, testing of the signage had been largely hypothetical, and she saw them first when speeding up the M1 in a car hired especially for the opening occasion. Mesmerized by the sheer scale of the signs and the expanse of empty road, they missed their junction—and the ceremony itself.

More frequently, drivers comprehend signage ...

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