The book is protected by a slipcase sealed in wax, an epistolary experience which transports the reader to the previous century.
About the book
A collection of letters between Elpidio Quirino, then a budding young politician, and his Vigan-based wife Alicia in the Peacetime years before World War II.
The front and back covers on the dust jacket.
Design notes
How do you make the 2015 reader understand and appreciate a 1920s correspondence? The design bridges the 1920s and the contemporary, the authentic and the simulated. Imagery and annotations contextualize the letters to readers who may no longer be familiar with Commonwealth era life. Bold shapes and gradations contrast with the formality of the vintage photographs; colors and textures suggest mood and period, while keeping the reader experience dynamic. The envelopes and letters are not facsimiles, but stylized interpretations. The book itself becomes a cherished and personal document, partly because of the interactive reading experience; like a precious letter, it is slipped into an envelope-like outer case and finished with a wax seal.
Left: Patterned flyleaf by artist Pam Yan-Santos.
Right: Editor Rene Guatlo at the book launch, Ayala Museum, 28 November 2015. In the foreground is Ruby Quirino Gonzales, granddaughter of former Pres. Elpidio Quirino.
Invitation design for the book launch.
“Our father would always tell us: Only if you sweat can you survive. Learn to develop a career. Do not depend on a man. You have to learn to sustain yourself. That’s why each of us has a career. We are not the stay-at-home type of women. We instinctively thrive on work.”
—Cory Quirino, granddaughter of former Pres. Elpidio Quirino
Related links
Publisher site: President Elpidio Quirino Foundation
Credits
Cover artwork: Jose Santos III
Inside cover artwork: Pam Yan-Santos
Calligraphy: Anne Tamondong
Additional photography: Richie Macapinlac
Inside cover artwork: Pam Yan-Santos
Calligraphy: Anne Tamondong
Additional photography: Richie Macapinlac
