Flat Iron Holder c. 1938

Charles Garjian created this drawing of a flat iron holder, using graphite and watercolor, most likely in the early to mid-twentieth century. It’s an interesting glimpse into the world of domestic labor, where tools like flat irons and their holders were essential for maintaining appearances and social decorum. This image creates meaning through its straightforward depiction of a functional object. The cultural reference here is the world of early 20th-century domestic life. We can imagine this object sitting in a middle-class home in the United States, reflecting the values and gender roles of the time. Institutions like schools and home economics programs emphasized these roles. Historians would use resources like census records, advertisements, and household inventories to understand the cultural context of this object. Ultimately, art like this reminds us that meaning is deeply rooted in social and institutional contexts.