Kalamian Walton

Kalamian Walton was an artist active in American design documentation during a focused period, spanning 1935 to 1938. This specific timeframe and the subject matter strongly associate Walton’s work with the Federal Art Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Walton contributed fifteen known items to the Index of American Designs, a vast archival project undertaken during the Great Depression to meticulously document American decorative and folk arts. Walton’s work focused primarily on detailed renderings of historical metalwork and accessories. Documented examples held in institutional collections include illustrations of a Lady's Shoe Buckle, a Neck Buckle, two renderings of Silver Sugar Tongs, and a Silver Tea Caddy.

These historical documentation prints are of significant research value. Numerous designs and Kalamian Walton prints are represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. The Index of American Designs, which aimed to preserve endangered visual history, often results in works that are in the public domain, providing researchers access to museum-quality images for study and reference.