“A city like this, my brothers and friends, you have not seen even in a dream. You walk its streets and do not know what to marvel at first or last" wrote Nobel Prize-winning Hebrew author S.Y. Agnon about Tel Aviv in his 1938 novel Ore’aḥ Natah Lalun (A Guest for the Night).
One of the unique ways a city connects to its heritage, history, language, values, and culture is through its street names. Another layer of this connection is reflected in the typography used for the street signs displayed at street corners. Shaul Tchernichovsky, an important Hebrew poet, wrote, “Man is nothing but a reflection of his homeland” and it seems fitting to say that street signs, as a kind of mirror of the city's residents, are also a "reflection of the homeland".
Every city and town has a committee that determines street names. The design of the signs, however, often differs between cities, though in some cases, they appear similar or nearly identical.
This article explores two major cities: Jerusalem, the historic capital, and Tel Aviv, the first Hebrew city. It delves into the history of signage from the early 20th century through its conclusion, specifically excluding signs from the 2000s.
Street Signs Through the Years
Until the British Mandate period, there was no uniformity in the language used on street signs. Some were in Hebrew and English, others in Hebrew only in Jewish neighborhoods or Arabic only in Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem and Jaffa.
During the Mandate period, the signs were standardized and written in three languages—Hebrew, Arabic, and English—designed similarly to signs in European countries.
Jerusalem
In terms of typography, in Jerusalem, the Hebrew font was designed in a traditional style, similar to the script in the Bible and holy books. The Hebrew was written in large letters at the top of the sign, with English and Arabic written below in slightly smaller letters. The text was black on a cream-colored background.
As can be seen in these examples, the light-colored signs—Jabotinsky and 29th of November (כ"ט בנובמבר)—are Mandate-era signs (up to the early 1950s), featuring a frame reminiscent of European-style signs.
The blue signs, named after a father and son—Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his son Itamar Ben-Avi—are signs from the 1960s. They retained the same structure, with a white, minimalist frame that is somewhat difficult to notice due to the wear and tear of time.
Tel Aviv
In Tel Aviv, there was also an early period of signs in only two languages, with Hebrew written in a Biblical calligraphic font.
During the British Mandate period, signs were written in three languages, using a more square, minimalist, and less decorative font, with each language on a separate line and in the same size, in blue text on a white background. Although there were also a few signs in Tel Aviv with a structure similar to those in Jerusalem, as shown in the examples below. In the Hebrew City, a variety of signs from different periods and styles can be observed.
A painted tin sign from the HaTikva neighborhood before streets were officially named, labeled simply as י״ט (19th street)
A biblical calligraphic-style sign for Sokolov Street.
Mandatory-era signs for Ibn Gabirol and Dizengoff Streets.
A La Guardia Street sign resembling Jerusalem's style.
A one-language sign for Haim Nachman Bialik (ח״ן) Boulevard, likely from Tel Aviv's early years.
Later, in the 1960s, the signs were replaced and written in white on a blue background in both cities, as we can see in the following example, a 1960s blue sign for Kikar HaMedina (State Square).
In Tel Aviv, the signs were written in Hebrew and English only, with some including a brief explanatory line about the street's name. For example, the King George Street sign includes an explanatory line below the name.
Evolution of Materials
Until the 1990s, street signs were made from enamel, and placed on embossed iron plates (as shown on the painted tin sign for Nordau Boulevard from the 1990s). Enamel, essentially powdered glass fused onto metal, was highly durable in outdoor conditions and maintained its quality for decades. Many cities worldwide still preserve such signs, but unfortunately, in Israel, they were replaced with newer technology.
In the 2000s, metal signs with printed colors were introduced, followed by aluminum signs with stickers, similar to traffic signs. These newer signs are of significantly lower quality and typically last only a few years at most.
In conclusion, street signs are more than practical markers—they are cultural artifacts that preserve the stories of a city's past while shaping its future. Walking through the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, these signs remind us that every corner holds a history, every name carries meaning, and every city reflects its soul through its typography and design.
This article was written by Yedidya Ish-Shalom
Painter, artist, interior designer, and collector, born in Jerusalem and currently living and creating in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood of Tel Aviv.
Instagram pages: @yedidya.ishalom & @israeli_street_signs
Website: ishalom.co.il
PS: The street signs in this article are from the "Ish-Shalom Collection," curated by Yedidya Ish-Shalom. This collection was previously exhibited at Tmuna Theater in Tel Aviv.
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