Bootjack

Art Historical Context

**Bootjack** by Rex F. Bush, created around 1937, captures the humble yet ingenious form of a traditional American bootjack—a wooden tool designed to grip the heel of a boot for easy removal. Rendered in watercolor and graphite on paperboard (35.5 x 27.8 cm), this precise depiction highlights the object's sturdy construction, with its characteristic U-shaped notch and ergonomic leverage, evoking the practical craftsmanship of rural life in 19th-century America. As part of the *Index of American Design* (IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935–1942, Bush's work exemplifies eff...

About the Artist

Rex F. Bush

Rex F. Bush (c. 1915–2002) was an American artist best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression era. Active primarily from 1935 to 1942, Bush produced watercolor, gouache, graphite, and pen-and-ink renderings on paperboard that documented everyday American folk ...