Paper Weight c. 1937

Frank Fumagalli’s "Paper Weight" renders the everyday object of the paperweight in watercolor and graphite. Fumagalli lived through the Gilded Age, an era marked by rapid industrialization, urbanization, and immigration, as well as deep social inequalities. During this time, mass-produced goods became more accessible, yet there was also a growing interest in handcrafted objects that reflected personal identity and local pride. Perhaps this watercolor reflects this tension. The paperweight is personalized with the name “Anna M. Brown” and the location of Bridgeton, N.J., transforming a generic item into a unique, sentimental object. This simple object carries with it the weight of personal history, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. It reminds us that even the most ordinary objects can be imbued with meaning and memory, reflecting our identities and connections to the places we call home.