A typographic exploration based on a single black and white photo.

SPECIAL CHILD CHECKING OUT A BOOK FROM THE LIBRARIAN
- Photographic print by Nina Leen

From the archives of LIFE magazine issue of March 24, 1972

For this project I had chosen this seemingly innocent photo to weave
a story behind the boy's reason for checking out a ridiculously heavy book.
I decided to name him Jeremy, he's a good kid.

Although seemingly humble, this simple cover hides the story of a boy struggling through the hardship of his father committing adultery. For this I chose an image transfer to mimic the subtle, yet elusive fragrance that women popularly wore in the early 1970's.

Various typographic experimentations were prominently inserted in specific parts of the short story. My goal was to immerse the reader into Jeremy's world by playing with the type in an almost onomatopoeia-like way. These treatments stood out in the beginning of the book with minimal glimpses of the photo. Towards the end, more and more portions of the photograph were revealed as the reader slowly discovers the identity of his father's adulterous partner.

The materials chosen for the production of this book were specific to lend to the feel of the story. A warm, creme colored paper to mimic older books hat many find familiar in the library where a majority of the story takes place. This along with a light, antique-looking blue for the cover makes it seem like a harmless old novel, hiding the surprise of a scandalous and misgiving theme.