Bronze Print and Published Media Design · 2024
Discovering Vienna Historical Coffee Table Book
- A' Design Award 2024 Bronze Winner in Print and Published Media Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Ullman Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 70,444
- Verification code A51D4C0AA8 · Verify this award
About Discovering Vienna Historical Coffee Table Book
Tales of exploration, discovery, conflict, and the trials of an enduring pioneer spirit fill the narrative of the visual history book, the first documentation of the heritage of the two primary families who settled in and founded the City of Vienna in West Virginia in the late 1700s. From Viking warriors and the English monarchy to the American gentry and colonial generals, the publication features archival documents, maps, as well as other artifacts that provide insight on the history and ancestry of the families, providing context in light of world events.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This unique book provides a visual history of the two primary families who settled in and ultimately founded the City of Vienna in West Virginia in the late 1700s. The book is filled with historical documents, maps, and other artifacts that provide context to the actions of both families in light of events in the American colonies and Europe at this time. The ancestry of both families is also documented, tracing their roots back to the English monarchy and Viking warriors.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 10"x10" Hardcover Book
- Tags
- historical book, visual history, Vienna, Briscoe, Spencer, colonists, American colony, Virginia, West Virginia
- Production Technology
- This project is unique because Christina Ullman completed the research for the book, wrote the content and produced the design.
- Design Challenge
- Locating historical documents and validating the accuracy of events was a challenge since many of the materials were located in historical society and library archives around the world. Other books provided some assistance with events and facts, but primary sources were key.
- Project Duration
- Project started in June 2022 and was published in May 2023
- Operation Flow
- The client provided feedback on the content outline for the publication. The author and designer had full authority over the content, art direction and design of the book.
- Research
- This book is the first of its kind on the topic of the history and heritage of the founders of the City of Vienna. While other books have described early life in the area, none have traced the ancestry nor documented the early lives of its founders: Dr. John Briscoe IV and Dr. Joseph Spencer, Jr.
- Inspiration
- The design of the book was inspired by vintage typography in the late 1800s combined with decorative lines and border frames implemented in historical and photography books and vintage maps from the early 1700s. The body text was minimal to allow the visuals and accompanying captions to have greater impact. The research was very difficult for this book since many of its resources were discovered in various libraries and archives around the world.
- Image Credits
- All images copyright Christina Ullman, Ullman Design, 2023
- Patents
- Christina Ullman, Ullman Design, 2023
Colors of Discovering Vienna Historical Coffee Table Book
Design Interview about Discovering Vienna Historical Coffee Table Book
This book is a visual coffee table book with a focus on the City of Vienna’s history. The body text was minimal to allow the visuals and accompanying captions to have greater impact.
This unique book provides a visual history of the two primary families who settled in and ultimately founded the City of Vienna in West Virginia in the late 1700s. The book is filled with historical documents, maps, and other artifacts that provide context to the actions of both families in light of events in the American colonies and Europe at this time. The ancestry of both families is also documented, tracing their roots back to the English monarchy and Viking warriors.
The book is part of a larger campaign called Trek Vienna, which includes large format exhibition panels with information about the history and heritage of the City of Vienna. Given the amount of research that I uncovered for this book, I may write and design a second volume.
The book took a year to research, write, design, and publish.
While researching information to include on the Trek Vienna exhibition panels, it became apparent that there was enough content to develop a book to tell the story of the city's first families. The publication was commissioned by the Friends of Vienna, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the City of Vienna in West Virginia.
The publication was commissioned by the Friends of Vienna, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the City of Vienna in West Virginia.
I have been a publication designer for over 30 years so designing a book is part of my professional expertise. I also love history so that just made the project even more interesting to me.
The design of the book was inspired by vintage typography in the late 1800s combined with decorative lines and border frames implemented in historical and photography books and vintage maps from the early 1700s.
The book was intended to communicate the city's history and heritage to the community as well as the geographic region in an effort to create awareness about the city's origins.
Unlike other history books, this book takes a visual narrative approach, linking text with historical images, documents, and artifacts.
Discovering Vienna is the title because it summarizes the nature of the story of the book.
I used Adobe Creative Suite applications including InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
The most unique aspect of the design is the custom typography that is incorporated on the cover and the chapter divider pages.
Jonathan Ullman served as the copy editor for the book.
The research was very difficult for this book since many of its resources were discovered in various libraries and archives around the world.
I am very proud of the book since I researched, wrote and designed it. It became a very personal project for me. I believe it is one of the best publications I have created in my career so far and it deserves to be recognized.
I learned to become a resourceful researcher and how to verify information from multiple sources efficiently.