Family Business

I’ve often alluded to my designer grandparents on this blog and here is visual proof: two posters by my grandfather, John R. Scotford Jr., during his long career designing for Dartmouth. My mother has been organizing his vast collection (70s movies, mod travel, random famous names, as well as his own work) and this summer, after the family took its pick, she brought a set to a Boston dealer who now has them for sale.

Years ago I took these particular two away and framed them. The colors are so period — my grandfather painted all the Thonet chairs in his studio turquoise and lime — the designs have so much joy, I think they are hard to resist.

Here’s my grandfather with one of his early poster designs: Winter Carnival, 1940.

The family typeface Scotford Uncial: that I can’t quite figure out how to fit into my decor.

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By Alexandra Lange

Alexandra Lange is an architecture critic and author, and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner for Criticism, awarded for her work as a contributing writer for Bloomberg CityLab. She is currently the architecture critic for Curbed and has written extensively for Design Observer, Architect, New York Magazine, and The New York Times. Lange holds a PhD in 20th-century architecture history from New York University. Her writing often explores the intersection of architecture, urban planning, and design, with a focus on how the built environment shapes everyday life. She is also a recipient of the Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary from AIGA, an honor she shares with Design Observer’s Editor-in-Chief, Ellen McGirt.