Hose Holder for Hand Engine c. 1937

This drawing of a Hose Holder for Hand Engine was made by Elmer G. Anderson, but the date is unknown. It's kind of cool because it's very clearly a diagram, but the artist has drawn it as a fancy bronze eagle. I love that the artist is treating the object with so much care, and the drawing feels as if it has real presence. The detail in the feathered wings and laurel leaves is incredible. You can really see the artist’s hand in those lines, like a gentle dance between intention and accident. The bronze color and blank circles of the hose holder add to the feeling that this is less about selling the object and more about a dedication to this civic design. It reminds me a little of Charles Burchfield, who made watercolors of buildings and landscapes in the American Midwest. Both these artists saw something to celebrate in the everyday, finding ways to elevate their subjects through careful, considered mark making. I see the beauty in this work. Don’t you?