Frank McEntee

Frank McEntee was an artist active primarily between 1935 and 1938, contributing detailed renderings to the Index of American Design (IAD). The IAD was a significant Federal Art Project initiative during the New Deal era, established to document and preserve examples of American decorative and folk arts, reflecting the artist’s focus on material culture studies rather than traditional fine art painting.

McEntee’s output concentrated on precise, illustrative works intended for historical record. Fifteen of the artist's renderings are represented in museum collections, providing vital documentation of early American artifacts. These works, which are today held in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, include documentation of items ranging from domestic implements to commercial signage.

Notable documented objects include the Coffee Pot, Hat Box, and the historical lighting device known as the Betty Lamp. Further examples represented in institutional holdings are studies of a Drinking Vessel (Loving Cup) and a Carved Figure (Possibly a Tailor's Shop Sign). Due to their nature as records produced for a government project, Frank McEntee prints and original renderings are invaluable sources for design historians. As these works are preserved in major public collections, high-quality prints are frequently made available to researchers via the public domain.