Bell (From a Locomotive)
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.6 x 26.5 cm (14 x 10 7/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8672
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate rendering of *Bell (From a Locom)*, a captivating watercolor and graphite drawing on paper created around 1940 by artists Harry Mann Waddell and Edith Towner. Measuring 35.6 x 26.5 cm, this work is a gem from the National Gallery of's Index of American DesignCG-W), a landmark WPA Federal Art Project initiative from the 1930s and early 1940s. During the Great Depression, this program commissioned artists to document America's rich heritage of folk art, crafts, and design through meticulous, lifelike illustrations, preserving everyday objects for future generations. Waddell...