Pin Tray c. 1940

This is Helen Hobart's drawing for a Pin Tray. It gives us an intimate view into design process. We can immediately tell that the artist has carefully considered the three-dimensional qualities of the pin tray she's designing, particularly the sculptural qualities of the eagle's feathers and the sharp details of its talons. The weight of the material is clear, even in two dimensions. We can also see the texture of the design, how the artist has used the pencil to give the eagle a sense of depth. Hobart would have had to consider the practicalities of production: how to translate her vision into a tangible object, probably cast in metal. The drawing isn't just about aesthetics; it’s a blueprint for something to be manufactured. Drawings like this encourage us to think about design as a dialogue between hand and machine, concept and reality. It’s a reminder that craft and design aren’t separate from the world of industry but are integral to it.