Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, 1930s

The majority of the easel paintings, sculptures, and murals represented in this collection were created by Federal Art Project artists working in the Chicago area. In addition, there are a number of photographs of decorative art pieces including chairs, tables, desk accessories, etc. representing the work sponsored by the Illinois Craft Project. To employ commercial artists the Federal Art Project administrators established the Index of American Design, which was to be a comprehensive collection of images of American-made decorative arts. The commercial artists prepared illustrations, in color, of selected decorative arts. A number of black and white photographs of these illustrations bear labels indicating the illustrations were in an exhibit of the Index of American Design sponsored by Marshall Field & Co. in 1937. Several Chicago galleries exhibited Federal Art Project work. The Federal Art Gallery (also known as the Illinois Art Project Gallery) was located at 211 N. Michigan Avenue and the first exhibition at this site opened in June, 1939. The second gallery was one of the activities developed by the South Side Community Art Center, itself another Federal Art Project program. This center, which opened in 1940, served the south side community of black artists who had formerly been loosely organized as the Arts and Crafts Guild.

This photograph collection documenting Works Progress Administration-sponsored art work illustrates several projects of the 1930s: the Federal Art Project in Illinois; the Index of American Design project (specifically an exhibition held at the Marshall Field & Co. department store in Chicago in 1937); the South Side [Chicago] Community Art Center; and the Illinois Craft Project. Although the majority of the artists represented in this collection were from the Chicago area, works by artists practicing in other regions, particularly in New York City, are also documented.

Photographs documenting the works of the various programs of the Federal Art Project have been organized by program type:

SERIES I: PAINTINGS, PRINTS, AND SCULPTURE. Arranged alphabetically by artist's name and then by title of work; sculptures by unidentified artists are listed at the end of the series.

SERIES II: DECORATIVE ARTS AND INTERIOR DESIGN. Arranged alphabetically by craftsman's name, and then by title of work; works by unidentified craftsmen are listed at the end of the series.

SERIES III: INDEX OF AMERICAN DESIGN. Arranged alphabetically by illustrator's name, and then by title of work; illustrations by unidentified artists are listed at the end of the series.

SERIES III: INDEX OF AMERICAN DESIGN. Arranged alphabetically by illustrator's name, and then by title of work; illustrations by unidentified artists are listed at the end of the series.

SERIES IV: WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION ARTISTS GALLERIES. Views of Chicago exhibition galleries.

SERIES V: MURALS. Arranged alphabetically by artist's name, and then by title of work.

SERIES VI: ARTISTS PORTRAITS. Arranged alphabetically by artist's name.

SERIES VII: MISCELLANY.

• Subject
  • Federal Art Project (Ill.)
  • Index of American Design.
  • South Side Community Art Center.
  • Illinois Craft Project.
  • Artists--Portraits.
  • Architectural drawing--France--Paris--19th century.
  • Public buildings--France--Paris.
  • Federal Music Project Orchestra.
  • United States. Works Progress Administration.

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Records of the Federal Art Project and Public Works of Art Project, 1933-1934 (National Archives and Records Administration).

Records of the Federal Art Project and Public Works of Art Project, 1933-1934 (National Archives and Records Administration).

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Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago.

The original donors of these images are unknown.

The collection was processed by staff of the Ryerson and Burnham Archives in 1994. This finding aid was revised and expanded by Jeff Massanova and Annemarie van Roessel in 2003.

This collection was transferred from the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries to the Ryerson and Burnham Archives.