Sewing Holder
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28 x 23 cm (11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13462
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Sewing Holder*, delicate 1939 rendering by Ernest. Towers, Jr., the charm of an everyday American craft object. Measuring 28 x 23 cm, this work on paperboard employs watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite to meticulously depict a functional sewing accessory—likely a needle case or pincushion holder—evoking the domestic ingenuity of bygone eras. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection, exemplifies the precision and affection Towers brought to documenting vernacular treasures. Created circa 1939 as part of the Federal Art Project's Index of America...
About the Artist
Ernest A. Towers, Jr.
Ernest A. Towers, Jr. was an American artist active during the late 1930s and early 1940s, best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create watercolor renderings of everyday American folk art, crafts, and decorative objec...