Christabel Scrymser

Christabel Scrymser was professionally active for nearly two decades, with documented work spanning the years 1935 through 1953. Her output is primarily associated with the Index of American Design (IAD), a comprehensive Federal Art Project initiative established during the Great Depression. The goal of the IAD was to create a visual record of American decorative and utilitarian objects dating from the colonial era through the late nineteenth century.

Scrymser’s contributions to this documentary project emphasize detailed studies of material culture. Eleven works attributed to her are held within permanent museum collections, illustrating a range of domestic, specialized, and utilitarian objects. Documented studies include designs for a Candlestick, a Lamp, a Sunshade, and a Nursing Bottle, alongside artifacts such as a Gun Powder Flask. These meticulously rendered records reflect the stylistic variations and craftsmanship present in early American history.

The entirety of Scrymser’s documented IAD portfolio is preserved within the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of their origin within a federally sponsored initiative, many of these Christabel Scrymser prints and drawings documenting decorative arts are now considered part of the public domain. This accessibility ensures that researchers and historians can obtain high-quality prints of the objects she documented for study.