Gordon Sanborn

Gordon Sanborn was an artist active in the documentation of American decorative arts during a brief period between 1935 and 1936. His documented output is associated with the Index of American Design (IAD), a federal art project designed to create a visual archive of historical American craftsmanship and folk art objects.

Sanborn’s work comprises detailed, precise renderings of utilitarian and decorative artifacts. Fifteen of these studies are indexed, focusing on early American domestic objects and metalwork. These documented designs include studies such as the Andiron, a detailed rendering of a Silver Pitcher, and illustrations of folk objects like the Running Dog Weather Vane. Other known works include the documentation of a Chair and a Warming Pan.

Gordon Sanborn’s contributions to the IAD are preserved in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. Because of their origin within a federal initiative, many of these historical documentation images are now in the public domain, serving as a key resource for the study of American material culture. Today, museum-quality images of his highly detailed renderings are available as high-quality prints.