Geotype Submission

The Geotype project charts the rich history of lettering and type forms that have established the identity of cities and towns around the world. Explore the map

How does this letter-form communicate its location?

This 19th century headstone features ornate black letter type forms suggesting gothic undertones of social, political, economic and spiritual unrest as a reaction against the industrial revolution. Sourced from local Devonian quarries, the sandstone performs a cultural role to ritualise death and attain transcendence through the endurance of language, iconography and materials. Despite the stone’s resilience, the dramatically weathered inscription is allegorical of the universal human condition and the inevitability of decay. However, the mutated type forms created by this transitory process offer a new sculptural artefact imbued with new and deeper meanings.

Location

Vicarage is at, 4 Vicarage Rd, The Holloway, Amblecote, Stourbridge DY8 4DL