Tongs
1935/1942
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.9 x 30.2 cm (9 x 11 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 17" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15241
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s and early 1940s, Mildred Ford's *Tongs* (1935/1942) captures the everyday ingenuity of American craftsmanship. This precise graphite drawing on paper, measuring 22.9 x 30.2 cm, meticulously renders a functional 17-inch pair of tongs—likely blacksmith or household tools emblematic of utilitarian folk art. Ford, one of over 200 artists commissioned for the project, employed fine shading and exacting lines to highlight the object's form, texture, and wear, transforming a humble implement into a testame...
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...