James McLellan

James McLellan was active during a brief but historically significant period, documented between 1936 and 1937. McLellan’s work is intrinsically linked to the Index of American Design (IAD), a federal art project established under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) dedicated to documenting traditional American decorative and folk arts.

McLellan contributed documentation drawings for fifteen items to the IAD archive. These meticulous studies, often rendered in watercolor or graphite, focused on recording details of historical American craft and material culture, ensuring the preservation of design heritage. These detailed renderings maintain a museum-quality standard, originally intended for educational use.

Five specific examples of McLellan’s work are represented in collections, including studies of domestic craft like a Doll Dress and two variations of a Beaded Bag. McLellan also documented theatrical performance objects, represented by the performance figures "Juggling" Marionette and the "Cannibal" Marionette. The majority of McLellan’s contribution to the IAD is held today by the National Gallery of Art. Because of their historical status, many of these documentation works are in the public domain, allowing for free art prints and widespread academic study.