Harry Mann Waddell

Harry Mann Waddell was an artist active primarily during the mid-1930s, with recorded activity concentrated in the years 1935 and 1936. Waddell is associated with the Index of American Design, a component of the Federal Art Project established during the Depression era to create a comprehensive pictorial record of American material culture and decorative arts.

Waddell’s contributions comprise fifteen documented works that focus primarily on architectural and decorative structures. These precise studies often function as historical records of specific design elements and craftsmanship. The documented works represented in institutional collections include several renderings of metalwork, notably the repeated motif Iron Grille at Window, along with the related drawing Architectural Detail.

A selection of Harry Mann Waddell’s output from this period is preserved in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The detailed, museum-quality renderings produced for the Index of American Design are today considered vital resources for historical architecture and design. Because these works fall under the documentation produced by federal projects, the collection is widely accessible, and many of these historical studies are now available as downloadable artwork in the public domain.