Banks and Miles Christmas tin

1 Comment on “Banks and Miles Christmas tin”

1. Florian Hardwig says:

   Dec 28th, 2024 6:12 pm

   Thank you for this contribution, James!

   I’m delighted to see a first in-use example for Abracadabra! So far, I’ve encountered this typeface in specimens by Photoscript and in Modern Publicity only. It could very well be that these tins represent the original use of Abracadabra, or at least an early one.

   It looks like the text details the studio’s contact info, with numbers written out in full: Banks & Miles / 7A Grafton Street / London W1 / 01–493 3025.

   The Banks and Miles Collection is housed at the Typography & Graphic Communication Department, University of Reading. In a 2014 blog post, Sue Walker wrote about their tins:

   These tins and drums were sent out by Banks and Miles each Christmas to clients and associates, each relating to design work they had done that year. The examples in the collection range from the late 1960s- mid 1980s. Some of the tubs even contain their original contents.

   Our examples include a London Underground design, dating to 1979, when Banks and Miles revised Edward Johnston’s classic sans for London Transport. This drum contains two napkins with a red underground logo reading ‘Banks and Miles’. Another using the distinctive British Telecom design, this contains a very helpful international dialing code card. In 1975, they referenced their iconic work with the Post Office, turning the tub into a mini post box.