David Kindersley,  the famous stone letter-carver and typeface designer, as well as designing the Kindersley typeface used on the street signs of Cambridge, was also commissioned to design an alphabet for use in the ‘new’ Addenbrooke’s.

The alphabet was to have lower and upper case lettering and was used for internal and external signs.  The letters were to be in ‘black plastic inlaid into a yellow plastic background’.  I do not think any of these signs are still in the hospital and I do not have any examples in the archives.

We do, however, have many other examples of David Kindersley’s work around the hospital site. The first commissioned was the plaque commemorating the opening of the Hospital on Hills Road, by the Queen which is outside the Out-patients department.  It is carved in Welsh slate and the lettering is gilded.

There are at least 20 plaques around the site, many within the main hospital building and several outside too; including the one on the wall behind the main reception which was donated in memory of Mr Kindersley.

Kindersley established a work shop near Cambridge in 1946, it is now run by his widow Lida and you can read more about their work here