Eugene Shellady

Eugene Shellady was an artist and illustrator whose active period is documented specifically between 1935 and 1936. During this concentrated timeframe, Shellady contributed to the comprehensive visual documentation of American material culture, specializing in the detailed rendering of historical and decorative folk art objects.

Shellady's known output consists of fifteen index of american designs held in museum collections, studies characterized by precise draftsmanship intended to record historical artifacts. These works encompass studies of early domestic items, hardware, and utilitarian objects. Specific examples represented in the archive include the detailed rendering Iron Ornament, the folk art study Pa. German Plate, and documentation of wooden serving utensils such as Bread or Apple Tray and Jar.

The complete set of Shellady’s index designs are preserved in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This important collection establishes Shellady’s role in documenting historical craftsmanship during the Great Depression era. Today, many of these historical studies are often considered part of the public domain, allowing for their reproduction as high-quality prints for educational and research purposes.