I found a shoebox full of letters from my Grandpa to my Gma from the early to mid-1940s. As I read through them, not only did I admire the historical significance of these letters, I also realized there was an unfolding love story during the most tumultuous time in recent history. I wanted to honor their story and make a memorable gift for my family.

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I formed a story that spoke to his experiences during bootcamp and his time overseas. I also included letters that spoke to how hard it was to be away from your loved ones for so long, which was evident in the beautiful poetry he wrote. 

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For the design, it was important to me that his handwriting be featured when possible, so I photographed and superimposed his letters onto stock photography. I sprinkled in photos taken during his service and furloughs, and used some from their life afterwards. In this shoebox there were  also newspaper articles and money that I used throughout this book as well. Once the design was complete, I sourced an online printer and gave these as surprise gifts to my family.

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*Fun fact: each postmark in the left corner matches the date and location (if applicable) of the letter featured on that spread.