Flat Iron Holder c. 1938

This detailed drawing of a flat iron holder was made by Mildred Ford. I imagine her carefully measuring the object and drawing all its details on paper! It’s a straightforward image, yet it captures the shape and design of the holder in great detail. You can see the horseshoe, the eagle on top, and the handshake with the words "Good Luck." It feels like a technical drawing, but also like a kind of folk art. The texture is smooth, but you can imagine the roughness of the metal it’s depicting. I wonder what Ford was thinking when she made this drawing. Maybe she was fascinated by the craftsmanship of everyday objects, or maybe she just wanted to document a piece of history. Whatever her reasons, it’s a fascinating glimpse into the past. It speaks to how artists find inspiration in the world around them.