Reading Stand 1935 - 1942

E. Boyd created this watercolor painting of a reading stand. It’s interesting to consider that Boyd was part of the Index of American Design, a WPA program during the Depression, which aimed to document American material culture. This stand, with its folk art style decoration, can be seen in the context of the revival of interest in American crafts. The image, with its bright primary colors, is deceptively simple, belying the cultural context it was made in. The reading stand is painted with an intricate, colorful folk style. This kind of object—something both quotidian and beautiful—speaks to the values of a culture. What did the people who crafted and used this object value? What did the people who commissioned this painting value? Both questions are worth considering, especially in the context of the Depression.