It’s a world of constant innovation, improvisation, with its own background work and researches. They have their scrapbooks, their newspaper cuttings and exercise pads rich with flourishes and the most innovative ligatures.

In future we would like to feature interviews of these sign painters of Bengal, the travelling minstrels of the lettering world. You will see these lonely figures traversing the towns with their paint kits and strings they use as rulers. Sadly, the arrival of Photoshop and cheap digital printing has made their art endangered. Some of them have set up their own studios where they churn out crude banners in CorelDraw. Some are just waiting.

Medico, Santiniketan Road, Bolpur

Rex Tailors, Santiniketan Road, Bolpur

New Variety Stores, Santiniketan Road, Bolpur

Srima Homeo Pharmacy, Santiniketan Road, Bolpur

Sarbbamangala, Santiniketan Road, Bolpur. © Rarh 2010

Tumpa Cut-Piece, Santiniketan Road, Bolpur

Anamika, Santiniketan Road, Bolpur

© Shubho Roy 2010