Florence Truelson

Florence Truelson was an artist active circa 1935, whose documented body of work is strongly tied to the Index of American Design (IAD). This federally funded project, initiated under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, sought to create a pictorial survey of historic American decorative and folk arts. Truelson contributed detailed documentary renderings aligned with the project’s mission.

Truelson's fifteen documented works held in museum collections emphasize domestic artifacts and traditional American craft techniques. These studies meticulously document textiles and household items, preserving visual records of early American material culture. Notable examples represented in the database include studies of traditional needlework and furnishings, specifically Beaded Cushion, Figure, Block from Friendship Quilt, and Patchwork Quilt.

The artist's work is preserved in major institutional holdings, establishing their contribution to the comprehensive record of American craftsmanship created by the WPA initiative. Today, Florence Truelson prints related to the Index of American Design are held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of the nature of the project, many of these documentary studies are now categorized within the public domain, making high-quality prints and downloadable artwork widely available for study and reference.