Petite Planète

“We see the world escape us at the same time as we become more aware of our links with it.”
—C. M. 

Petite Planète is a series of iconic travel guides by the French publishing house Edition du Seuil. In the 50s essayist and director Chris Marker was hired as the editor (and often  photographer, designer and writer) of the series, establishing an unorthodox approach to travel literature, both editorially and visually. The narratives were full of commentary and critique and the visuals surprising or unsettling, avoiding the glossy clichés of typical guidebooks. The covers in particular had a deliberately cinematic approach, each with a face of a woman, often staring at the viewer (or looking off) in a powerful, knowing way.

I’d love to track down these rare volumes in person, but for now, all I can do is imagine the content behind these stunning covers.