IDENTITY

New Directions.

I feel the time has come to change the direction of the blog. To date I have dealt with events relating to date, a point in time, a moment that passes away as the trace of a cloud. Whether or not that moment had produced any great effect matters little in the scheme of things. "Is it not a noble farce, wherein kings, republics, and emperors have for so many ages played their parts, and to which the whole vast universe serves for a theatre?" (Michael de Montaigne). It is Macbeth’s poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Having taken up student life at this late stage, I feel that perhaps I should see the thing through and go for the Phd. I see no reason why this idiot should not create a bit of noise and turbulence in what few years are left of the record, which will of course add up to nought; but, nevertheless, pourquoi pas un doctorat?

As subject for the enquiry I thought I might look at various aspects of identity. The moment one steps out the front door one is confronted with signs and displays of identity. The number on the front door, the street name, the registration numbers on the vehicles parked in the street, the colours of windows, doors, bricks, railings, etc., almost everything serves to identify the neighbours.

I initially decided to look at house numbers, where and how they are placed, the choice of font and any other features. I googled ‘house numbers’ which revealed some 3,750,000 results. One company selling door numbers provided a bit of social history and philosophy in its pitch. This is from Filante Products web site, which is quoted in full. 

House names in the UK are so commonplace in everyday life that sometimes we barely even seem to notice them. It’s only when you begin to have a good look around you, you realise that house names are literally everywhere. So, where do they come from and what is their background?

Names are, in fact, all around us. They provide us with a way of signalling something to others without speaking and believe it or not, this communication is as important today as it ever was. Through a simple sign next to a road, on a building or on a billboard, you can convey an important message about who you are, where you are from and lots of other vital information, such as danger or aide, to the people around you.

Although house names do not necessarily convey a message of danger they can be important indicators as to who you are, where you live and even what you believe in. In the past this type of sign may not have been strictly necessary as people tended to live in small communities where everybody knew one another. As the communities in which humans lived began to expand so did the tendency for trade and ultimately travel. It was at this point that it became increasingly important that buildings could be identified – for trade and delivery purposes. It wasn’t until 1765 however that Parliament introduced new acts outlining the need for street numbering. London was the first place in the UK to introduce street numbers and slowly other cities and towns followed suit.

House names still remain more commonplace in the countryside than they do in urban areas and this is not only due to the fact that rural areas have less houses and smaller communities but also because of the rather grandeur tradition amongst the upper classes for naming estates and halls. The traditional upper class families would name their estates after a battle they had won or a place or famed person or invention they had connections to.

Although houses named in modern day life have little to do with the upper classes, there still remains a popular trend of naming houses and erecting beautiful plaques and house names. Whatever your reason for wanting to name your house we guarantee we have the house sign to suit your very individual requirement. We have been supplying a large variety of house names and plaques to many satisfied customers for over a decade and therefore have the experience and expertise in making house names that you have been looking for. If you are interested in learning more about any of our products or services then please do not hesitate to get in contact with us at our UK office on 01425 479409 and we will be more than happy to help.

The house number makes quite a few substantial statements.

“Through a simple sign next to a road, on a building or on a billboard, you can convey an important message about who you are, where you are from and lots of other vital information” “They provide us with a way of signalling something to others without speaking” “They can be important indicators as to who you are, where you live and even what you believe in”.

What do you believe in, and can this be revealed through the simple choice of a house number? Do you even want to reveal who you are and what you believe to all and sundry? Just what services are Filante Products really offering?

What of the car registration number? Taken by itself, it reveals the history and make of the vehicle, as well as the name and address of the owner. The type of vehicle speaks of a choice made by the owner and can be an indication of preference, taste, social class, aspirations or resolutions. Some owners go so far as to obtain personalised number plates and certain combinations of numbers and letters have a substantial market value.  Thousands of pounds are exchanged for the right combinations.  ALF 1 is on offer for £115500.

It is clear an enquiry into identity has an infinite variety of approaches and any progress towards a resolution will be rambling and labyrinthine. We all have our own search for identity going on as we read, but I would seek to confine my enquiry into matters relating to the writing of identity; those displays of signs, letters, numbers, images, sounds etc. that convey identity. What writing foments identity? I would be grateful if anyone reading this entry could make comment and perhaps share a few ideas on identity, even if only to say it’s a rubbish idea.
Here is an American view.