Alfred Nason

Alfred Nason was an American documentarian active during the mid-1930s. His known period of artistic production spans 1935 to 1937, during which he contributed to the Index of American Design (IAD), a seminal Federal Art Project established under the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Nason's focus centered on the precise documentation and rendering of historical American decorative arts, particularly domestic metalware. Eleven documentation works attributed to the artist are preserved in institutional collections. These works, characterized by their detailed draftsmanship, focused on historical objects that preserved the record of American craftsmanship.

Five specific examples represented in collections include the Silver Beaker, Silver Platter, and multiple renderings of the Silver Mug and Silver Sugar Bowl. These historical documentations are held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Today, Nason’s contributions to the Index of American Design are recognized for their historical accuracy. As works created under the federal arts project, his studies are now part of the public domain. Reproductions of Alfred Nason prints are often utilized by researchers and designers, making them available as downloadable artwork.