Spade 1938

Herman Stroh made this watercolor of a spade in 1938. As part of the Index of American Design, this image belongs to a larger project of cataloging American material culture. The Index was created during the Great Depression, as part of the Federal Art Project, which gave work to artists. The aim was to record objects of folk art and craft, whose forms were seen as expressing a distinct national character. In representing a humble tool, Stroh’s image reflects a nostalgic view of rural life, which was embraced by many at a time when America was rapidly industrializing. To understand this work better, we can research the history of the Index of American Design itself, along with the aesthetic and political values that shaped its making. This reminds us that artworks like this one are documents of social and institutional history.