When most people think of circus lettering, they envision the old flamboyant letters that once appeared on big top circus tents and signs from the mid to late 1800's. Styles that harken back to the days of P.T. Barnum, giant elephants, clowns and freak show exhibits. Much like the acts they promoted, circus lettering tended to be larger than life with bright colors, decorative elements and big block shadows to make the letters stand out. Nothing seemed too garish or overboard. While these are the styles most of us think of first, a font doesn't necessarily need to be vintage to be considered a circus style. I'm also including a few casual, fun fonts that sign painters used in later decades. |