Bishop Hill: Old Colony Auger
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 44.4 x 34.9 cm (17 1/2 x 13 3/4 in.) Original IAD Object: overall: 27" long; handle: 15 3/4" wide; bit: 8" long; 2" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8343
Art Historical Context
**Bishop Hill: Old Colony Auger** Created around 1938 by artist H. Langden Brown, this watercolor and graphite drawing on paper captures the intricate details of an "Old Colony Auger," a woodworking tool from the historic Bishop Hill colony in Illinois. Measuring 44.4 x 34.9 cm, the meticulously renders the original object's 27-inch length, with a 15¾-inch-wide handle and an 8-inch-long, 2-inch-wide bit, evoking the craftsmanship of 19th-century American folk tools. As part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s—this piece belongs to a vast a...
About the Artist
H. Langden Brown
H. Langden Brown (1879–1960) was an American artist best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday objects, tools, vehicles, and crafts that embodied the nation's folk...