Ben Lassen

Ben Lassen (Active 1935-1940) was a contributor to the Index of American Design, a seminal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project established to create a comprehensive pictorial record of American decorative arts and folk culture. Lassen was active for a concentrated period, contributing six designs to the index.

His artistic output focuses strictly on documenting distinct examples of historical American craftsmanship and domestic objects. Five distinct works by Lassen are represented in museum collections, confirming the artist's role in this large-scale survey. These include meticulous renderings of historical artifacts such as a Door Stop, a detailed study titled Penny Bank (Elephant), and documentation for a Door Knocker. A notable piece documenting religious folk art is Noah's Ark and Animals. These designs are permanently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

As documentation produced for the US government, Lassen's work is today widely considered part of the public domain, making the detailed drawings suitable for high-quality prints and downloadable artwork utilized by researchers and design historians.