Flat Iron Holder
c. 1937
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 22.7 x 29.1 cm (8 15/16 x 11 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 10 1/2" long; 4 3/8" wide; 1 5/8" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15794
Art Historical Context
Mildred Ford's *Flat Iron Holder* (. 1937), in precise graphite on paperboard, the humble elegance of an everyday American household object from the Index of American Design. Measuring 22.7 x 29.1 cm, this detailed drawing depicts a practical holder—originally about 10½ inches long—for sad irons, the heavy, stove-heated tools women used for ironing before electricity became widespread. Ford's meticulous lines highlight the object's functional form, likely crafted from wood or metal, evoking the ingenuity of early 20th-century domestic life. Created as part of the Federal Art Project under the...
About the Artist
Mildred Ford
Mildred Ford (1895–1988) was an American artist whose career is indelibly linked to the Index of American Design, a monumental Works Progress Administration (WPA) project launched in the 1930s to document the nation's rich heritage of decorative arts and folk objects. Through her precise renderings, Ford helped preserve intricate details of everyday artifacts—from toleware utensils to Pennsylvania...