Events
Salon Series 56: The History and Craft of French Sign Painting
with Morgane Côme, Sam Roberts
A show-and-tell conversation celebrating the release of our new book, Lettres Décoratives
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In Lettres Décoratives: A Century of French Sign Painter Alphabets, sign painter Morgane Côme introduces readers to the dazzling chromolithographic albums of painted letters published in France from the mid-nineteenth century. Join Côme in conversation with Sam Roberts for a whirlwind tour of the albums and the craft they inspired. Côme will share observations on the stylistic features of the alphabets and discuss where these works sit within the wider history of French sign painting, while Roberts will bring an international perspective, drawing connections to sign painting in other countries and exploring what these historic albums can offer to the contemporary sign painting trade.
Morgane Côme
Morgane Côme is a sign painter based in Quimperlé, France. After working as a graphic designer in London for five years, she discovered sign painting during a trip to New York City. Workshops with Pierre Tardif and Mike Meyer in 2014 sparked her passion for the craft, which she has pursued ever since. In 2016, she returned to France and established her studio in Brittany, where she creates bespoke hand-painted lettering for independent businesses. Passionate about preserving the craft’s heritage, she shares her knowledge through workshops and archival research. Côme is currently writing a book on the history and practice of sign painting in France, to be published by L’Échappée in the fall of 2026.
Sam Roberts
Sam Roberts is the editor and publisher of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine), the world’s only print and online publication dedicated to the sign painting trade. He has written numerous books and articles on sign painting, and its history, in addition to producing films and events that champion the craft. Sam’s route into it all was via his fascination with “ghost signs”, those fading remnants of advertising painted by hand on brick walls. His interest in these began in his native London, but since 2019 he has lived with his family in Sant Pere de Ribes, Catalonia, Spain.
