Bandbox (Wall Paper)

Art Historical Context

**Bandbox (Wall Paper)**, created around 1939 by artist Gilbert Sackerman, captures the charming decorative details of a traditional American bandbox—a lightweight, cylindrical container originally used for storing hats, collars, or other small items. Covered in vibrant wallpaper patterns, this artwork showcases intricate floral or geometric motifs typical of 19th-century domestic crafts, rendered with precision on paperboard measuring 28.9 x 22.8 cm. This piece is part of the *Index of American Design*, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942 that employed artists during the Great Depression to document everyday American folk and decorative arts. Sackerman's contribution preserves the aesthetic heritage of vernacular objects, highlighting how wallpaper—once a luxury imported from Europe—became accessible through American printing innovations, adorning humble household items. Executed in watercolor, graphite, and gouache, the work exemplifies the Index's signature technique: meticulous, full-color renderings that mimic the originals' textures and vibrancy without alteration. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, it invites visitors to appreciate the ingenuity of American craftsmanship and the role of public art programs in safeguarding cultural history.

About the Artist

Gilbert Sackerman · 1855–present

Gilbert Sackerman is an artist about whom very little biographical information has been preserved. His dates of birth and death are unknown, and his national or regional origin has not been firmly established through surviving records. Sackerman's presence in museum collections attests to a working artistic life, but the details of his training, his influences, and the communities in which he wor...