Lang Font

Lang Font is a semi-slab family derived from grave carvings in the Green-Wood Cemetery of Brooklyn, NY – a cemetery I live nearby, which became a source of beauty and calm on frequent visits during the pandemic lockdown of 2020 & 2021.

The core of Lang is inspired by a brownstone monument that appears to have been carved in various stages between 1852–1918, as many monuments in Green-Wood are shared by families over time. This and other brownstone monuments make me stop and smile each time I come across them: despite their sober messages, the letters carved on them are just so full of life, like Green-Wood Cemetery itself.

Lang includes a sturdy set of uppercase letters that are serious but yet jovial, paired with a lowercase that has a simplified, semi-slab construction. The family is extended with a weight range that smoothly transitions from a hefty Black down to a delicate Thin (this full set of weights will be released over time). These weights are accompanied by a semi-script Italic, which picks up on themes present in other 19th-century monuments in the cemetery.