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The Editors|Essays

May 11, 2014

A Mother’s Work is Never Done

Do your children look like you a lot? A little? Not at all? Does it matter? Could we love them any more if we tried? (Could they clean their rooms any more frequently than once a year?)

This year, for Mother’s Day, Design Observer collected photos of women designers and their offspring in varying forms: we received entries in the form of then-and-now contemporary photos, of generational divides, of mothers as children (next to their children, as — no surprise —children) and even, because we’re impatient and couldn’t wait, one father and his lovely brood.  

It’s Mothers Day, and we’re taking a moment to share the love. Herewith: the mothers of us all.


Jessica Helfand, at age 7; right, her daughter, Fiona Drenttel, at age 7.


Julie Lasky and her daughter Shan.


Júlia Juste, student of business with a hidden desire to study design, in love with beautiful things and Eva Calduch, mum, graphic designer, wife. In love with life and beautiful things as well. Barcelona, December 2013. (Photo: Kimberly Wang)


Nancy Essex and her Mom, 2013.


Lana Rigsby and John Powell with their twins, Annie and Jonathan Powell.


Derry Noyes surrounded by her daughters, Mary, Maggie, and Eliza on her 60th birthday.


Margaret Bauer, at age 5, and her daughter Emily, at age 6.


Julie Teninbaum with her daughter Tessa Beatrix Brandsgaard (age 1.5), October, 2012 in the Adirondacks.


Rachel Berger and her kids: Isaac Berger, 10 months and Molly Berger, 2.5 years.


Jenny Wright and son Rowan Wright, both at age 2.


Cornelia Blatter and her daughters, Lili-Cai Hermans (8), and Sena Hermans (5) in Lisbon, October 2013.


Bonnie Siegler and her children, Oscar and Buster Scher, 2009.


And because we just can’t wait a month until Father’s Day: Michael Bierut, then and now, with his children Martha, Liz and Drew.