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The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first edition)

Contributed by Patrick Concannon on Sep 9th, 2022. Artwork published in .
The front panel and spine of the jacket feature text set in Rialto.
Source: www.icollector.com License: All Rights Reserved.

The front panel and spine of the jacket feature text set in Rialto.

The dust jacket for the 1982 Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first edition of the Pulitzer Prize-winning epistolary novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker was designed by Judith Kazdym Leeds.

The front panel and spine of the jacket have text set in Rialto (Letraset, 1980), with the front panel featuring a subtle extension to the tail of the lowercase y that neatly replaces the dot of the lowercase i contained in the first name of the author. The back panel as well as the front and back flaps feature text set in ITC Souvenir, a highly popular soft serif of the era. Additional publishers information on the back flap is set in Helvetica.

The purple spine of the hardcover and interior title page also show text set in Rialto. Additional text from the title page is set in Palatino.

The front panel of the jacket features text set in Rialto.
Source: historical.ha.com License: All Rights Reserved.

The front panel of the jacket features text set in Rialto.

The back panel features text set in ITC Souvenir.
Source: karenstrum.com License: All Rights Reserved.

The back panel features text set in ITC Souvenir.

The front and back flaps also feature text set in ITC Souvenir. Additional publishers information on the back flap is set in Helvetica.
Source: karenstrum.com License: All Rights Reserved.

The front and back flaps also feature text set in ITC Souvenir. Additional publishers information on the back flap is set in Helvetica.

The purple spine of the hardcover also features text set in Rialto.
Source: karenstrum.com License: All Rights Reserved.

The purple spine of the hardcover also features text set in Rialto.

The title page also features text set in Rialto with additional text set in Palatino.
Source: karenstrum.com License: All Rights Reserved.

The title page also features text set in Rialto with additional text set in Palatino.

1 Comment on “The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first edition)”

  1. In 2023, Simon Walker designed a custom lettered version for the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition as an homage to the original 1982 design.

    Source: https://www.simonletters.com/book-covers


    Barnes & Noble exclusive edition of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.

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