Clarence W. Dawson

Clarence W. Dawson was an artist active between 1935 and 1941, whose documented output is associated with the Index of American Design, a component of the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project. This vast project was dedicated to systematically recording American decorative and folk arts from the colonial period through the 19th century.

Dawson contributed 15 works to the Index of American Design, focusing on meticulous studies of utilitarian and domestic objects. This specialized body of work, considered museum-quality documentation, includes detailed renderings of items such as a Flower Urn, a Shaving Horse, a Coffee Mill, a Doll Cradle, and a Jug. These records represent the era's effort to preserve visual examples of craft and material culture threatened by industrialization.

The original illustrations and accompanying information by Clarence W. Dawson prints are preserved within the collections of the National Gallery of Art. Due to their government origins, these works are often categorized within the public domain and made available as downloadable artwork for researchers and enthusiasts.