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Design Category
Book design, 1998
Design firm
Little, Brown and Company (Boston, Massachusetts)
Collection
(1999) 50 Books/50 Covers of 1998
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The images of the great portrait photographer Philippe Halsman are brimming with playfulness, wit, and beauty. We wanted these qualities to be reflected in this retrospective. Designer J. Abbott Miller caught the mood and innovative nature of Halsman’s work perfectly with his fanciful alphabetical tour of Halsman’s subjects. Reproduction quality was also of supreme importance—vintage prints were scanned at the Halsman studio and much care was taken to make the duotone printing reflect the richness of the prints, with round-the-clock scrutiny by the authors and publisher. Seldom, in my experience, has the graphic design of a book so well reflected the spirit of the work it presents.