I decided to take a long overdue trip somewhere new at the beginning of November. New Orleans was on the short list and I decided it was the only place warm enough to visit. I booked my flight, got my AirBnB straight, and set off to The Big Easy for a week. In addition to the cultural melting pot, I discovered tons of found type and proceeded to photograph it all.
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum was one of the biggest surprises of the entire trip. This two-story historical shop was home to the first certified doctor/pharmacist in the United States. The outside features beautiful gold leaf signage and wonderful painted lettering. However, the interior is jammed full of old medicine labels, monograms, and ephemera from a the early days of medicine. The details is just breathtaking. Each one is an example of engraving and lettering of a true craftsman.
The Royal Pharmacy
Another amazing spot for found type is the still-operating Royal Pharmacy. Located in the French Quarter at the corner of Royal & Ursulines, it has all of the original signage inside. Each sign is hand-painted with care, and the items below are still accurate the description. I’ll will probably turn this into a typeface soon. It’s got too much character to be ignored.
I didn’t spend my time around old pharmacies during my trip. You’ll see more of my found type next week when I share all the street type I found while walking around.
