Platter - "North Carolina Arms"

Art Historical Context

Behold the *Platter - "North Arms"*, a striking black-and-white photograph captured 1936 by Helmut Hiatt. Measuring 8 x 10 inches, this image meticulously documents a historic platter—originally 14¾ inches long and 11½ inches high—adorned with the heraldic emblem of North Carolina. Hiatt's precise photographic technique captures every intricate detail of the platter's form and decoration, preserving its elegance for posterity. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design (IAD), a ambitious Works Progress Administration (WPA project launched during the Great Depression. From 1935 to 1942, artists across the U.S. created thousands of renderings, photographs, and watercolors to celebrate and safeguard everyday American folk art, crafts, and design traditions. Hiatt's contribution highlights regional pride, showcasing a platter that likely embodies North Carolina's colonial or early American heritage through its armorial motif. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this piece underscores the IAD's cultural mission: to foster national identity amid economic hardship by documenting overlooked treasures. Visitors today can appreciate how such efforts immortalized objects that might otherwise fade from memory, bridging past craftsmanship with modern admiration.

About the Artist

Helmut Hiatt · 1855–present

Helmut Hiatt was an American photographer active in the mid-1930s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a monumental Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious New Deal initiative sought to document and celebrate the nation's folk arts and crafts through detailed renderings and photographs, capturing the essence of everyday Americ...