Viewbooks : Window into America

Covers : Coast to Coast

From California to Connecticut viewbooks represent a place’s attempt to put its best foot forward, to describe itself in its own time and to place itself in the greater context of the American landscape. That polished view begins with each viewbook's cover. As the selection of covers below shows, color and typography are two important tools at the publisher's disposal. Most viewbooks were otherwise printed in black and white, so it was up to the cover to draw the reader in. It was not uncommon for publishers to issue the same viewbook with several different covers, encouraging sales and experimenting with the packaging -- literally and figuratively -- of place.

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