Helen E. Gilman

Helen E. Gilman was an American artist active in the brief period spanning 1935 through 1937. Her known professional output is intrinsically tied to the Index of American Design, a federal art project during the Great Depression dedicated to creating visual documentation of historic American folk art and decorative traditions. This context defines her style as rigorous, detailed, and documentary.

Fifteen of Gilman’s works associated with the Index of American Design are preserved in museum collections, confirming her role in recording key aspects of American material culture. The National Gallery of Art holds these works, which often provide valuable, museum-quality records of textiles and Shaker objects. Specific documented subjects include Crewel Embroidery, Shaker Case for Knitting Needles, Shaker Man's Costume, and Shaker Silk Kerchief. She also rendered objects such as the folk artifact Tradesman's Sign (Indian). Today, high-quality prints of Gilman's illustrations are often found in the public domain, ensuring wide accessibility to these important historical records.