Virginia Tuttle Clayton

Drawing on America's Past commemorates the 60th anniversary of the National Gallery of Art's acquisition of the Index of American Design. Widely regarded as one of the New Deal's most important art projects, the Index began in 1935 as a means of compiling and publishing a visual archive of American folk, popular, and Decorative Arts art from the time of settlement to about 1900. The book displays 82 of the finest watercolor renderings along with a selection of the artifacts they represent. The original objects range from quilts, weather vanes, and hand-carved toys to carousel animals, stoneware, and cigar-store figures.… (meer)