Toast Rack c. 1939

Jacob Lipkin created this drawing of a toast rack at an unknown date. It may seem unremarkable at first, but this image speaks volumes about the intersection of art, labor, and the everyday. Drawings like this one, made in America, often served a crucial function. They documented objects produced for everyday use, perhaps intended as part of an archive or record of industrial design. In its very simplicity, the toast rack embodies the rise of mass production and the changing landscape of domestic life. The regular, standardized form contrasts with the handmade objects of the pre-industrial era. By studying the material culture of a time, we gain insight into the social conditions that shaped artistic production. Catalogues, trade publications, and design archives become essential resources. We can start to see the larger economic and cultural forces that determine the value we place on art and the objects we use every day.