Title: Silent Spring
Author: Rachel Carson
First published: 1962

In the late 1950s, marine biologist Rachel Carson began working in environmental conservationism, specifically investigating the effects of synthetic pesticides, many of which had been developed during WWII.

The resulting body of evidence was ‘Silent Spring’ and it detailed the devastating impact particular chemicals were having on entire ecosystems. The published work brought on a backlash from chemical manufacturers, but it swayed public opinion enough for more research to be undertaken. Among other things, this resulted in the nationwide ban of DDT in agriculture and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Long-story short, Rachel Carson was a badass and when I read about this work I wanted to create a book cover to celebrate it. I opted for a two-ink duotone, with an overprint of black to indicate the harm being done by the synthetic pesticides. The imagery itself is reversed to further add to the sense of chaos.

This is cover is a reimagining and not commercially available, any fonts or images used have been included as part of a personal project only.