I am so in awe of scientists whose quiet intense work over many years has brought us such relief from so many awful diseases starting with smallpox and most recently their monumental efforts achieving the various covid-19 vaccines. Creative experimentation has much in common with science and this little bit of wild-daredevil-typesetting is my tribute, celebrating medical endeavour and reminding us that life is precarious, fragile and beautiful. ‘Pandora’s Petri Dish’ is an exploration of hope. Using hand set metal type to create a protective spiral around an untouched, vulnerable, innocent centre that the long history of amazing medical research into vaccines has afforded us. Beyond these defensive layers strange and unusual multifarious microscopic threats swirl, visualised in delicate combinations of typographic ornaments and fleurons. Printed on Somerset Velvet soft white 300gsm paper using 10pt Rockwell light metal type.

Letterpress

Elizabeth Fraser