Armchair Tour of Jimmy Carter Country by Peggy Sheppard
Jimmy Carter celebrates his 100th birthday today. In 1977, he became the 39th president of the United States. The same year, Sheppard Publications brought out a booklet that offered an “armchair tour” to his hometown Plains and other places in and around Sumter County, Georgia.
The cover design is credited to local artist John Kollock (1928–2014). “Jimmy Carter” is set in Book Jacket, featuring two different forms for the letter m, and alternate glyphs for a r and y. The italic display typeface was designed by Ursula Suess, who would have turned 100 years herself a couple of weeks ago.
In addition to cotton plants, the map on the back depicts peanut fields. When Carter was elected president, he famously had to put his family peanut farm into a blind trust in order to avoid any conflicts of interest during his term – whereas one successor of less integrity couldn’t even be bothered to release his tax returns.
The author, Margaret “Peggy” Sheppard, was born in 1923, making her one year Carter’s senior. She passed away in October 2015.
The map labels use Alternate Gothic, with Plains being highlighted in ITC Avant Garde Gothic Condensed.
