Wandering through the streets of Malta's Valletta is like stepping back in time. Much of the historical city remains untouched of development, not least its vintage shopfronts which feature retro typography akin to the styles seen in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Their placement alongside the ornate balconies and embellishments of Valletta's baroque architecture gives the city an entirely unique setting which had us continuously reaching for our camera as we explored its streets.
Here's a selection of the photographs we took of Valletta's exceptionally cool vintage shopfronts, some of which are gorgeously hand-painted and some printed in plastic using retro fonts (Valletta is a typography geek's dream). Fun fact: the HMV sign we photographed below was the oldest HMV sign in the world until it was damaged in 2024 during construction work! All the photographs below are available as prints from our shop.
A derelict shopfront in Malta's Valletta. Shop this photography print.
A vintage Valletta shopfront alongside the ornate Baroque architecture. Shop this photography print.
Paul's Butcher shopfront in Valletta. Shop this photography print.
A beautiful hand-painted sign of Delia house furnisher. Shop this photography print.
A retro vertical sign. Shop this photography print.
Another gorgeous hand-painted sign. Shop this photography.
A hand-painted sign alongside wooden shutters. Shop this photography print.
The oldest HMV sign in the world until it was destroyed in 2024 (this photograph was taken in 2022). Shop this photography print.
Love the lines on this sign advertising "the shop on the left." Shop this photography print.
Vintage typography above a canopy. Shop this photography print.
Three different fonts on this sign alongside a row of baroque architecture. Shop this photography print.
The contrast of this sign is striking against the historic architecture of Valletta. Shop this photography print.
Shop our Valletta Malta photography prints which are printed to order on vegan toxin-free paper.