Fontly is a new app which preserves typographical treasures. Explore nearby examples of gorgeous signage or add photos of your own to the collective map.

The goal of the app, according to creator Brandon Ciecko, is to highlight and preserve typography in the world around us:

"The idea for Fontly was inspired by my growing interest in history, the urban landscape, and the eras and evolution of typography and visual style. After traveling from city-to-city, country-to-country, I started realizing that there is a story to be told about places, people, and time … and this story lives in signage. Without picking up a history book, you get a sense of who inhabited the Lower East Side of NYC or Boston’s South End or Krakow’s Old Town; which immigrants settled, what the community valued, their distinct aesthetic, and commercial activities of the past and present. It’s all there.

The larger goal of this project, is about highlighting and preserving these instances of typography. Found-lettering and signage of historic or visual significance should be protected. I’d even argue that some of these signs are landmarks! It’s a part of our heritage, it gives us a sense of place, and it’s inspirational on many levels.

I want Fontly to become a tool not only for typophiles and designers, but for preservationists, architects, students, and anyone who shares these values."

Via Fast Company.