Flat Iron Stand

Art Historical Context

**Flat Iron Stand** by Leslie Macklem, created around 1938, captures the humble elegance of an everyday American household object from the Index of American Design. This watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard (22.9 x 34.5 cm) showcases a sturdy stand designed to hold heavy cast-iron flat irons—those pre-electric tools essential for ironing clothes in 19th- and early 20th-century homes Macklem's precise depiction highlights the object's functional form, likely crafted from wood with simple joinery, evoking the ingenuity of vernacular American design. As part of the Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the Index of American Design (1935–1942) employed artists like Macklem to document the nation's folk art and crafts through over 15,000 detailed illustrations. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, this work preserves vanishing artifacts, celebrating regional craftsmanship and everyday utility amid economic hardship. Macklem's mixed-media technique—graphite for fine lines, watercolor and gouache for vibrant color and texture—brings the stand to life with museum-quality accuracy. It reminds us how ordinary items reflect cultural values of durability and self-reliance, bridging art and history for today's visitors.