The Flower Lover and the Fairies

Jeanyee Wong (1920-2017) was a Chinese American artist, illustrator, and calligrapher. Over a career of 70 years, Wong designed, illustrated, and handwrote over 40 illustrated books and 2,000 dust jackets. Wong studied in New York under calligrapher George Salter and apprenticed with graphic designer Fritz Kredel, earning her first illustration job at just 20 years old. In 1947, Wong became one of the founders of the Book Jacket Designer Guild. With her unmatched, steady hand, Wong’s lettering was so precise that even some experienced editors were unable to tell the difference between her hand lettering and typographic alphabets. Wong designed, illustrated and lettered a variety of works including book jackets for authors such as John Updike and Maurice Sendak, lettering on a Hermès scarf, and logos for the New York Public Library. This copy of "The Flower Lover and the Fairies” was illustrated and handwritten in its entirety by Jeanyee Wong.