Wafer Iron

Art Historical Context

In the heart of the Great Depression, artist Paul Ward captured the humble elegance of a traditional American wafer iron in this vibrant watercolor and graphite rendering, dated around 1936. Measuring 23.1 x 30.7 cm, the work meticulously depicts the original object's 4 3/4-inch diameter iron disk and its 27 1/2-inch handle, showcasing Ward's skill in blending soft watercolor washes for metallic sheen and intricate patterns with precise graphite lines for sharp contours. As part of the National Gallery Art's collection, it exemplifies the watercolor-on-paperboard technique favored for its portability and fidelity in documenting artifacts. Created for the Index of American Design—a WPA Federal Art Project initiative (1935–1942)—this piece preserves a slice of everyday American folk craft. The program employed artists like Ward to record regional designs, from tools to textiles, fostering national pride in vernacular heritage amid economic hardship. Wafer irons, used since colonial times to press thin, crisp pastries over hearth fires, symbolize resourceful domestic ingenuity. Today, Ward's artwork invites us to appreciate not just the object's functionality but its artistic afterlife, bridging utility and beauty in American material culture. A testament to Depression-era creativity, it reminds visitors of the enduring value in our shared, handcrafted past.

About the Artist

Paul Ward · 1855–present

Paul Ward was an American artist who contributed to the Index of American Design during the New Deal era, creating detailed watercolor renderings of American decorative objects that are now held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. His documented works include Lamp and Camphene Lamp, both rendered in watercolor and graphite on paperboard and created between 1935 and...