John Garay

John Garay was an artist and renderer whose documented professional activity spanned the years 1935 to 1936. His output is defined by his extensive contributions to the Index of American Design (IAD), a federally funded initiative responsible for creating detailed visual records of American decorative arts and material culture. Garay is credited with fifteen known renderings associated with this significant documentation project.

Garay’s works exemplify the exacting, technical style characteristic of the Index of American Design. These renderings focus on precise observation and functional objects, providing historical documentation of American artifacts. The documented pieces include studies of furniture and metalwork, specifically the illustrations titled Chair, Chippendale Side Chair, Pin, Silver Mug, and Silver Teapot.

This body of work is preserved in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. Because of their origin within the Index of American Design, these John Garay prints and technical drawings often reside in the public domain, allowing institutions to make high-quality prints accessible for research and educational purposes.