Edith Towner

Edith Towner was active between 1935 and 1937, contributing specialized documentation to the Index of American Design (IAD), a comprehensive visual survey of historic American decorative arts created under the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Towner’s work focused primarily on cataloging early American material culture, including textiles and folk objects. Fifteen works attributed to the artist are represented in institutional collections. These pieces are crucial historical records, and many are preserved at the National Gallery of Art.

The documented works showcase meticulous attention to detail required by the IAD project specifications. Notable surviving records include detailed renderings of garments such as Betrothal Dress and Boy's Dress. Towner also cataloged a series of historical folk objects, including the documentation pieces Doll - "Abbie", Doll - "Felicia", and Doll - "Ida Stebbins".

Due to their historical context and preservation status, many of these documentation drawings by Edith Towner are now available in the public domain. Institutions maintaining the collection frequently offer access to high-quality prints or downloadable artwork derived from her detailed surveys of American heritage.