About Acorn416

Acorn416 makes miniature replicas of Toronto's historic acorn street signs - the ones with the upward-pointing finial, the embossed lettering, and the unique geometry that makes them instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up paying attention to Toronto streets.

The signs were originally manufactured by Rosco in the early and mid 20th century. Nobody seems to know exactly who designed them, what typeface they used, or how the production decisions were made. That information is probably lost. What remains are the signs themselves - still found on older streets throughout the city, though fewer every year. The new replacements are functional. They are not the same thing.

I design, print, paint, and assemble each sign by hand in Toronto, one at a time. The lettering was drawn from archival records, field photography, and photos of surviving original signs. These are my versions of them - made to look right, feel substantial in your hand, and reward a closer look.

They're made for people who notice things - who have a favourite street, a neighbourhood they grew up in, an address that means something. The acorn signs are a small, physical piece of the city as it was. That's worth making.