Ernest Capaldo

Ernest Capaldo was an artist and documentarian active during a brief but focused period spanning 1940 to 1941. Capaldo’s known professional output is centered on his contributions to the Index of American Design, a comprehensive visual archive created under the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project. This massive undertaking sought to document American material culture and decorative arts spanning from the colonial era through the nineteenth century.

Capaldo specialized in the meticulous rendering of historical fabric and textile designs. His contributions, consisting of 10 index of american designs, served as museum-quality records of craftsmanship. The documented works focused on capturing the intricate patterns and composition of items such as Historical Printed Textile, Historical Textile, and Printed Cotton. These documented studies prioritized accuracy and historical detail, functioning as invaluable visual reference guides for researchers and historians.

Works by Ernest Capaldo are held in permanent museum collections, establishing his work's significance as historical documentation. These holdings include the National Gallery of Art (NGA). Today, Capaldo’s contributions to the Index of American Design, preserved as part of the public domain, are accessible as high-quality prints for continued study and appreciation of American textile history.