Whale Oil Lamp

Art Historical Context

Behold the *Whale Oil Lamp*, a meticulous graphite drawing on paperboard by Howard Lard, created around 1938. Measuring 37.9 x 27.4 cm, this work captures the delicate form of a small, historic lamp—originally about 10 inches high, 3 7/8 inches long, and1 inch wide—used in early America for illumination with whale oil. Part of the National Gallery of's Index of American Design collection, it exemplifies the era's effort to celebrate everyday objects as cultural treasures. The Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from 1935 to 1942, employed artists during the Great Depression to document America's folk art and crafts through precise renderings. Lumbard's graphite technique allowed for intricate shading and fine details, rendering the lamp's pewter or similar metal form with lifelike realism, highlighting its functional elegance from the colonial period. Whale oil lamps were essential household items before kerosene and electricity, symbolizing resourcefulness and maritime heritage in whaling communities. This artwork not only preserves a slice of pre-industrial life but also underscores the WPA's role in fostering national pride through art. Visitors can appreciate how Lumbard's skilled draftsmanship bridges history and design, inviting reflection on America's inventive past.

About the Artist

Howard Lumbard · 1855–present

Howard Lumbard was an American artist active around 1935 whose precise watercolor and graphite drawings form a notable part of the Index of American Design. His early life is not well documented, with no records of formal training, teachers, or artistic education coming to light. Instead, Lumbard is known through his contributions to this ambitious New Deal-era initiative, a Federal Art Project of...