Wooden Cash Register
c. 1942
Medium
watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 45.7 x 56 cm (18 x 22 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 14" high; 24" wide; 18" deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9152
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Wooden Cash Register*, a meticulous rendering by artist Wilbur M. Rice, created around 1942 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This vibrant watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, and gouache work on paper (45.7 x 56 cm) captures the intricate details of a real wooden cash register measuring 14 inches high, 24 inches wide, and 18 inches deep. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, it exemplifies the IAD's mission—a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from the 1930s—to document America's folk art, crafts, and everyday objects through precise, colorfu...
About the Artist
Wilbur M Rice
**Wilbur M. Rice (1909–1974)** was an American artist best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Active primarily between 1935 and 1942, Rice produced detailed watercolor, gouache, and graphite renderings of everyday American folk objects, tools, toys, and crafts. Thes...