A CENTURY OF FAMILy
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I was honored to be the designer of a one-of-a-kind family history project in 2025. The materials arrived in fragile condition, and clearly were precious. They included photographs, documents, letters, yearbooks, and other ephemera. I was asked to capture and restore the images using state-of-the-art software, and to create a picturesque history— a chronology, with beauty and character. Richer than a typical “photo book” or album, the client wanted to book to have texture and depth, and expressive color and illustration. This requires a subtle eye and thoughtful execution.
A.I. and powerful software can remove all flaws with a swift click, simultaneously rendering the result flat and falsified. I was careful to respect and preserve some of the quirkiness of the vintage images—lens flares and authentic artifacts—while bringing the people and places to life. While the originals varied in exposure and tone, I was able to adjust them for a consistent vintage impression.
This gallery shows only a few of the 80 pages, displayed here at spreads. The book was 8'“ x 10” hardbound, with linen covers, including a full color dust jacket with french flaps, all printed on premium paper. The print run was small, as it was intended only for family members. Print-on-demand integration provides the family with the option to reproduce the book anytime another copy is desired. It is also hoped that the story will be carried forward by the next generation, inspired by this preservation and presentation.
The client was in another state, and our communication was via phone and e-mail, with proofing done via a password-protected page of my website. As is often the case, when a client discovers what is possible, the ambitions for the project expand, pleasingly. These pages and images are shared with the permission of the client. Thank you Barbara and Cathleen for the pleasure of working on this with you.
I selected this painting by the Finnish artist V.A.Blomstedt, with its honeyed color palette, for use throughout the book behind section titles. “Lake with Snow on the Shore”, c. 1900, oil on canvas, via The Finnish National Gallery of Art. [public domain]
This family tree was created specifically for the book. All typography, layout, and color palette by design. [These pre-press images still show the front matter folios in roman numerals for reference while editing. The folios were later removed.]
Lovely wedding memorabilia placed over the elegant “Still Life with Champagne and Oysters” by Johann Wilhelm Preyer, c. 1857, oil on canvas. Note deliberate color harmonies.
Most of the images needed substantial work. In this I chose to keep the wavy distortion of the bike tires as the feature of a time capsule, rather than a flaw.
Perhaps my favorite page from the book, with the wonderful original of the San Francisco Bay Bridge under construction, shot from the East Bay, in 1935. The book continues into the present-day generations, not shown in this brief gallery.
A collage of War Dept. missives on two facing pages. c. 1944
