When I saw these objects on the wall in a naval museum in Istanbul, a while back, I was intrigued as to what they were. Closer inspection reveals they are, in fact, historic signs for the museum itself, two from 1897 and one from 1961.

I like the idea of keeping the signs from the front door as part of the museum’s history. They’re reminders of the visual style of the times.

And in Istanbul they represent a shift from the indulgent days of the sultans to the modernist identity of the post-Ottoman years. Today (29 October) is Republic Day in Turkey, the anniversary of when the country officially became a republic.