By: Govi Snell

Date: January 26, 2021

Keyword(s): Magazine

Location: Southeast Asia, Asia

Resource Type: Linked article

This article examines the cultural significance of Saigon’s disappearing hand-painted signage and the efforts undertaken to preserve this often-overlooked dimension of urban heritage. Through initiatives such as Republish, historic typographic forms are documented, digitized, and reintroduced into contemporary visual culture. Particular attention is given to the work of Steffi W. Neukirchen, whose Signs of Saigon project has played a crucial role in recording vernacular typography and highlighting its historical, artistic, and sociocultural value. Neukirchen’s research demonstrates how signage embodies layered colonial, local, and individual influences, serving as a unique archive of the city’s identity. The article argues that safeguarding typographic heritage is essential to preserving Saigon’s cultural memory amid rapid urban transformation.