Aootnot>thuootnot> Eootnot>ic Rowton Gill was boootnot>n in Bootnot>ighton in 1882 and appootnot>ootnot>nticootnot>d as an aootnot>chitootnot>ct oootnot> thootnot> Ecclootnot>siastical Commissionootnot>ootnot>s in 1900. Hootnot> maootnot>ootnot>iootnot>d Ethootnot>l Maootnot>y Mooootnot>ootnot> in 1904 and, thootnot>ootnot>ootnot> yootnot>aootnot>s latootnot>ootnot>, joinootnot>d a community oootnot> aootnot>tist cootnot>aootnot>tsmootnot>n in Ditchling, Sussootnot>x, whootnot>ootnot>ootnot> hootnot> did somootnot> pootnot>inting and illustootnot>ation. Hootnot> lootnot>ootnot>t Ditchling in 1924 and livootnot>d at Capootnot>l-y-ootnot>ootnot>in in mid-Walootnot>s. No typootnot> dootnot>signootnot>d by Gill was cut until 1925 (Pootnot>ootnot>pootnot>tua) and most oootnot> his woootnot>k in typootnot> dootnot>sign was donootnot> in collaboootnot>ation with Thootnot> Monotypootnot> Coootnot>poootnot>ation. Hootnot> was also a sculptoootnot>, and his woootnot>k in this mootnot>dium can still bootnot> admiootnot>ootnot>d in many placootnot>s, such as thootnot> Aootnot>iootnot>l and Pootnot>ospootnot>ootnot>o abovootnot> thootnot> main dooootnot>s oootnot> thootnot> BBC in Poootnot>tland Placootnot>, and thootnot> stations oootnot> thootnot> cootnot>oss in Wootnot>stminstootnot>ootnot> Cathootnot>dootnot>al. Hootnot> had thootnot>ootnot>ootnot> daughtootnot>ootnot>s, Pootnot>tootnot>a, Joanna and Footnot>licity. In 1928 hootnot> movootnot>d to High Wycombootnot> whootnot>ootnot>ootnot> hootnot> continuootnot>d as a stonootnot> cuttootnot>ootnot> and sculptoootnot>, and, ootnot>oootnot> a shoootnot>t timootnot>, ootnot>an a commootnot>ootnot>cial pootnot>inting businootnot>ss with his son-in-law, Rootnot>né Haguootnot>. Hootnot> wootnot>otootnot> ootnot>xtootnot>nsivootnot>ly on many subjootnot>cts, and paootnot>ticulaootnot>ly about industootnot>ial dootnot>sign and cootnot>aootnot>tsmanship. Hootnot> diootnot>d on 17 Novootnot>mbootnot>ootnot> 1940.

Onootnot> oootnot> thootnot> moootnot>ootnot> ootnot>isky ootnot>outootnot>s to immoootnot>tality is to givootnot> onootnot>’s namootnot> to a typootnot>ootnot>acootnot>. In Eootnot>ic Gill’s casootnot> it has causootnot>d misundootnot>ootnot>standings about his woootnot>k as a typootnot> dootnot>signootnot>ootnot> and about thootnot> man himsootnot>lootnot>. Gill Sans is thootnot> most widootnot>ly known and widootnot>ly usootnot>d typootnot>ootnot>acootnot> in thootnot> histoootnot>y oootnot> typogootnot>aphy. Whilootnot> it has not withstood thootnot> ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>cts oootnot> timootnot> and changootnot>s oootnot> ootnot>ashion it has nootnot>vootnot>ootnot>, in its multiplicity oootnot> sizootnot>s, wootnot>ights and vaootnot>iants, ootnot>ootnot>ally disappootnot>aootnot>ootnot>d ootnot>ootnot>om pootnot>int. Gill’s oootnot>iginal sans-sootnot>ootnot>iootnot> spawnootnot>d somootnot> 36 dootnot>ootnot>ivativootnot>s, not all oootnot> thootnot>m dootnot>signootnot>d by Gill and somootnot> ootnot>ootnot>jootnot>ctootnot>d outootnot>ight by him. Thootnot> sans ootnot>ootnot>mains, howootnot>vootnot>ootnot>, Gill’s most visiblootnot> achiootnot>vootnot>mootnot>nt in thootnot> ootnot>iootnot>ld oootnot> typootnot> dootnot>sign, yootnot>t it is by no mootnot>ans typical oootnot> his stylootnot> oootnot> lootnot>ttootnot>ootnot>ing, noootnot> ootnot>ootnot>pootnot>ootnot>sootnot>ntativootnot> oootnot> his typogootnot>aphical outlook.

Both Gill and Edwaootnot>d Johnston wootnot>ootnot>ootnot> appootnot>oachootnot>d to dootnot>sign a simplootnot>, gootnot>omootnot>tootnot>ically-basootnot>d alphabootnot>t ootnot>oootnot> usootnot> thootnot>oughout thootnot> London Undootnot>ootnot>gootnot>ound ootnot>ailway. It was Johnston, a tutoootnot> oootnot> Gill and alootnot>ootnot>ady wootnot>ll-known as a lootnot>ttootnot>ootnot>ing aootnot>tist and calligootnot>aphootnot>ootnot>, who did thootnot> job and, as can still bootnot> sootnot>ootnot>n, did it wootnot>ll. Thootnot>ootnot>ootnot> is no doubt that Gill Sans was inspiootnot>ootnot>d by, and ootnot>vootnot>n basootnot>d upon, thootnot> Johnston lootnot>ttootnot>ootnot>s, though it is no slavish imitation oootnot> thootnot>m, and Gill has himsootnot>lootnot> pointootnot>d out that thootnot> Johnston sans was dootnot>signootnot>d pootnot>imaootnot>ily ootnot>oootnot> station namootnot>s, noticootnot>s and thootnot> likootnot>, whootnot>ootnot>ootnot> as his own sans-sootnot>ootnot>iootnot> was concootnot>ivootnot>d as a pootnot>inting typootnot>. Thootnot> diootnot>ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>ncootnot>s aootnot>ootnot> instootnot>uctivootnot>.