Franklyn Syres

Franklyn Syres was active as an artist and documentarian during the specific period of 1935 to 1940. Syres’s documented output is entirely associated with the Index of American Design, a major initiative of the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project during the Great Depression.

The Index aimed to create a systematic visual archive of American decorative arts and material culture from the colonial period through the late nineteenth century. Syres contributed detailed drawings and renderings of functional folk objects, emphasizing the precision required for historical documentation. This body of work provides valuable insight into the functional aesthetics of early American craftsmanship.

Syres is represented in museum collections by 15 Index of American Design renderings held by the National Gallery of Art. Specific examples of documented objects include various studies of household and agricultural implements such as Cookie Cutter, Door Latch, Butter Mold, and multiple depictions of the Pa. German Butter Mold. These important historical drawings are often made available as high-quality prints, preserving the visual legacy of the American folk art tradition. The images created by Syres and the Index of American Design project are today frequently found in the public domain, serving as vital resources for researchers.