Lead Miner's Wooden Bucket
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 28.2 cm (14 1/16 x 11 1/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 10 1/4" high; 5" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9005
Art Historical Context
Step into the rugged world of early 20th-century American mining with *Lead Miner's Wooden Bucket a meticulous rendering created around 1940 by artists Arthur Stewart Paul Poffinb. This watercolor and graphite drawing on paper captures a humble, functional wooden vessel—originally 10¼ inches high and 5 inches wide— by lead miners to haul ore and water in harsh underground conditions. The detailed depiction highlights the bucket's sturdy stave construction, worn patina, and practical hoop reinforcements, evoking the daily grit of industrial labor. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD),...