Cancelling Machine
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 22.9 cm (12 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: overall: 16" high; upright post: 15" high; base: 3 1/2" high; 9 1/2" long; 1" wide; handle: 10" long; 1/4" thick; trigger: 3 1/2" long; plunger: 13" long; stamp: 7/8" in diameter; pad: 1 1/8"
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9050
Art Historical Context
In the late 1930s, artist Samuel Fineman captured the humble yet ingenious "Cancelling Machine" a meticulous watercolor, graphite, and gouache rendering on paper, now housed in the National Gallery of Art. Created around 1938 as part of the Index of American (IAD)—a WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942—this work documents a vintage post office tool used to imprint cancellation marks on envelopes, preventing reuse. Measuring just 30.5 x 22.9 cm, Fineman's detailed depiction highlights the device's compact form: a 16-inch-high upright post on a sturdy base, complete with a 10-inch handle, t...
About the Artist
Samuel Fineman
Samuel Fineman was an American artist active during the late 1930s, best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create watercolor renderings of everyday folk art, crafts, and decorative objects, capturing the essence of Ame...