Newport: A Lively Experiment takes the reader through over 300 years of the city’s history, starting with its early settlement through to 1969, showing how Newport evolved and spread its influences while retaining its colonial feeling and roots. Covering social, religious, political, and military events that affected Newport over this time period, the result is a sweeping, narrative history of a city unlike any other. It is an important look at how one small city has shaped the nation we live in today.

The collective goal of the publisher, author, and designer was that the book has a dual purpose as a scholarly publication and a historical novel, with the objective of establishing Newport, Rhode Island as the prototype of the American city. Newport: A Lively Experiment, a 544-page, full-color, hardbound volume, contains over 200 color and duotone images, and accompanying narrative text and sidebars. Additionally, a “Limited Edition,” specially bound and housed in a cloth-covered slipcase with a satin ribbon marker, was designed as a fundraising tool for the Library and is numbered and signed by the author.

The project was recognized by Graphis and Step Inside Design for Design Excellence in Publication Design.