Toast Rack
c. 1938
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 43.5 x 27.9 cm (17 1/8 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 12" wide; 3 7/8" deep; 25 1/2" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15120
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Toast Rack*, a meticulous graphite drawing by Bernard Westmacott, created around 1938. This detailed rendering captures a functional American household object—a slender, elegant rack designed to hold slices of toast upright for cooling, measuring originally 12 inches wide, 3⅞ inches deep, and 25½ inches long. Rendered on paper (43.5 x 27.9 cm), Westmacott's precise lines highlight the object's graceful curves and sturdy form, evoking everyday craftsmanship from America's past. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from 1935–1942, this wo...