Combination Rush/Candle Holder

Art Historical Context

**Combination Rush/Candle Holder** Leslie Macklem (c. 1939) captures the humble ingenuity of early American folk craft in a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard. This28.2 x 23.1 cm work depicts a practical "combination rush/candle holder a device blending rushlight holders—simple wicks made from oil-soaked rushes for everyday colonial lighting—with traditional candlesticks. Such objects highlight the resourcefulness of pre-industrial households, where functionality met modest beauty in everyday tools. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression, Macklem's precise illustration preserves vanishing American design traditions. The IAD commissioned artists nationwide to document folk art through detailed, museum-quality renderings, fostering national pride in cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Watercolor's luminous transparency paired with graphite's fine lines allowed Macklem to convey texture, form, and subtle aging, making this utilitarian item a study in vernacular artistry. Displayed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, this piece invites visitors to appreciate how ordinary objects embodied American self-reliance, bridging craft history with Depression-era efforts to celebrate it. A charming window into bygone domestic life! (198 words)