John Dieterich

John Dieterich was an artist active during the early 1930s, documented as working between 1930 and 1936. Dieterich is primarily recognized for his contribution to the Index of American Design (IAD), a federal initiative established during the Great Depression under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to create a visual record of American decorative arts and historical folk culture.

Fifteen documented works attributed to Dieterich are included in the Index of American Design collection, focusing on documenting historical artifacts. These works, generally executed as documentary drawings, paintings, or renderings, include detailed studies of domestic and functional objects such as the Tall Clock, Pier Table, Shoe Buckles, and a Pa. German Dower Chest. This specialization demonstrates Dieterich’s role in preserving visual records of early American material culture.

Dieterich’s original documentation is represented in museum collections, including the National Gallery of Art. The effort ensured the creation of detailed, museum-quality records of otherwise perishable artifacts. Because of this historical program, many John Dieterich prints based on these archival renderings are now available in the public domain for research and study.