James M. Lawson; Gordon Saltar

James M. Lawson and Gordon Saltar were collaborative illustrators active during the late 1930s, documented specifically between 1936 and 1937. Their output is associated with the 6 index of american designs, a project initiated under the Depression-era Federal Art Project (FAP). This project focused on creating accurate, documentary representations of historical decorative and folk arts from across the United States.

Working in a precise, detailed style appropriate for archival documentation, Lawson and Saltar recorded artifacts ranging from domestic utility objects to historical marine equipment. Representative James M. Lawson; Gordon Saltar prints held in museum collections include detailed studies such as Copper Kettle with Spout, the domestic design Foot Warmer, the architectural element Headboard, and the specialized item Wardroom Lamp from "Constitution".

These documents served a crucial educational and preservation function, ensuring that examples of American craftsmanship were recorded for future study. A significant number of these designs, which are now often available in the public domain, are preserved in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. The careful draughtsmanship allows these historical designs to be reproduced as high-quality prints for scholarly and public access today.