The book plays on the dual meaning of the word “letters”: typefaces, signs, logotypes on the one hand, and fictional letters (love letters, letters to relatives, professional letters, administrative letters…) on the other hand, in order to investigate the role of identities in a city, the evolution of brand design and signage, the interactions between social state and graphic signs.
As a result, one hundred imaginary letters are inspired by a selection of one hundred photographs of signs located in Le Havre. The signs are organised in five chapters and analysed accordingly: industry, public service, independent shops, franchise, seaside and temporary signs. The outcome looks like a big picture of Le Havre in 2011-2012 composed by a collection of zooms, both visual and social since the human contemporary issues are all raised in the letters (crisis, election, Europe, eternal family rivalries, love, hate, jealousy, administrative nonsense…). Lettres du Havre can also be seen as two books woven into one.
