Bertha Semple

Bertha Semple was an American documentarian active during a concentrated period spanning 1935 to 1936. Her verifiable output is associated almost entirely with the Index of American Design, a component of the Federal Art Project (WPA) established to systematically document American historical decorative and folk arts.

Semple’s contributions focused on meticulously rendering detailed visual records of material culture. She is documented as having contributed at least fifteen works to the Index of American Design project. These works often depicted functional and decorative artifacts, capturing the forms, materials, and historical details of the objects with precision suitable for scholarly reference.

Works represented in museum collections include the architectural element Iron Door Handle, the historical religious artifact Sandstone Holy Water Font, and documented folk art, such as the Quaker Doll. Semple also produced illustrations detailing smaller decorative items, including documentation of specific Bracelets and a Brooch.

A selection of documentation produced by Semple is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. Due to the nature of the Federal Art Project, many of these detailed records documenting early American design are now in the public domain. Consequently, Bertha Semple prints and the associated high-quality prints are frequently sought as resources for historical research and accessible as downloadable artwork.