Index artist Charlotte Angus at work on a rendering of Appliqué Sampler Quilt Top Publicity photograph circulated by the Index of American Design, circa 1940.*

Finished plates are inspected by a committee of Index specialists. Publicity photograph circulated by the Index of American Design, circa 1940.*

Between 1935 and 1942, the WPA hired three hundred artists in thirty-five states to create nearly 22,000 watercolor renderings of traditional arts and crafts for the Index of American Design. Objects such as furniture, toys, stoneware, clothing, textiles, and quilts were culled from museums and private collections across the country and rendered in federal artist studios. In New York City, renderings were brought to the public through advertisements, public programs, and exhibitions.

The Index was ultimately intended for publication, however the WPA ended before this project was complete. In 1943, Index renderings were given to the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art, where they remain to this day. Duplicate renderings made by artist trainees were sold to educational institutions such as the Queens Library.

* Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Gallery Archives. Photographer unknown.