Dorothy Lacey

Dorothy Lacey was an artist active during a concentrated period between 1935 and 1937. Her documented output is associated with the Index of American Design, a component of the Federal Art Project dedicated to creating a comprehensive visual archive of American decorative arts and material culture. Lacey contributed 13 works to this index, providing meticulous documentation of historical craft objects.

Lacey’s technical focus was primarily on domestic textiles and floor coverings. Examples of works represented in museum collections include detailed renderings such as Hooked Rug, Woven Coverlet, and Caswell Carpet. An additional recorded work is Handwoven Coverlet.

Thirteen of her Index of American Design studies are held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art (NGA). As documentation created under federal mandate, many of these resources, including Dorothy Lacey prints, are now considered public domain. This accessibility ensures their continued use by researchers and historians, allowing the collection to be viewed today as high-quality prints.