Bible Box c. 1937

Samuel Fineman made this watercolour and graphite rendering of a Bible Box in the mid-twentieth century as part of the Index of American Design. The Index was a project of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal agency created to combat unemployment during the Great Depression. Fineman meticulously documented the box, focusing on its construction and decorative details. The box itself, dating from an earlier period, reflects the cultural values of its time. During the colonial era in America, religion played a central role in daily life. Objects like this Bible Box were significant as they held sacred texts and were often focal points within the home. The painted floral design adds an element of personal expression and cultural identity. As art historians, we can use resources such as census data, period newspapers, and religious publications to understand the cultural context of objects like this Bible Box. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional setting.