2024 
Lagniappe celebrates the history and culture of Lafayette, Louisiana. This typeface is inspired by letterforms found in Lafayette newspapers from the late 1800s-early 1900s, a time marked by the stigmatization of French and the discrimination of francophone people in Louisiana.

The typeface preserves the unique characteristics of the original letterforms while adapting them for contemporary usage. Lagniappe symbolizes the resilience and evolution of the language, contributes to the revival of the French language in the area, and preserves Louisiana’s cultural and linguistic heritage.








Utilizing a handful of digital archives like the Lafayette Public Library website and the Louisiana Digital Library, dozens of newspaper scans were collected. This Tuscan-like typeface appeared in the Lafayette Gazette over a period of several decades.

These letterforms were used as inspiration and reinvented for modern day usage. French glyphs were added to the character set. By documenting the typeface in both English and French, something they never would have done with the original typeface, this project symbolizes the resilience of the French language/culture in Louisiana.





   

After creating the character set, a type specimen was developed. This bilingual poster uses Lagniappe, alongside other typefaces, to advertise real places and events in Lafayette, LA. 

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