Charles Charon

Charles Charon was active during a focused period between 1935 and 1940, with their surviving work strongly linked to the documentation efforts of the Index of American Designs. This federal arts project aimed to systematically record historical American folk art, craft, and utilitarian design. Charon’s contribution to the Index is substantial, with fifteen documentary studies represented in major museum collections.

These works function as detailed visual records of material culture, focusing on historical domestic and ceremonial objects. The documented items span various categories of design, including detailed renderings of textile and craft objects such as the Birch Bark Cape Collar and a Jacket, alongside studies of utilitarian objects like a Basket, a Drum, and a Horn and Mortar & Pestle. These precise visual records provide valuable data on the aesthetics and construction of early American designs.

The significance of Charon’s work is established by its institutional preservation. Fifteen of these studies are held in museum collections, notably the National Gallery of Art. Due to the federal mandate under which they were created, many Charles Charon prints and drawings associated with the Index of American Designs are in the public domain, facilitating extensive research. These archival records are often made available today as high-quality prints, allowing scholars and enthusiasts continued access to this valuable historical documentation.