Camp Chair
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 55.5 x 48.2 cm (21 7/8 x 19 in.) Original IAD Object: 27"high; 18"wide at back; 18 1/2"deep at seat.
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4497
Art Historical Context
George C. Brown's *Camp Chair* (c. 1940) is a vibrant rendering from the Index of American Design, a Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) launched in the 1930s. This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the U.S. to document everyday objects embodying American craftsmanship and folk art traditions. Brown's precise depiction, measuring 55.5 x 48.2 cm, captures a classic portable folding chair—originally 27 inches high with an 18-inch back and seat depth—evoking the era's enthusiasm for outdoor recreation and camping culture amid the Great Depression. Executed in wa...