Leslie Macklem

Leslie Macklem was an artist active for a concentrated period from 1936 to 1939, specializing in detailed documentation drawings for the Index of American Design. This federal art project sought to catalog the history of American decorative and folk arts through precise visual representation.

Macklem’s contributions consisted primarily of historical object studies, focusing on the careful rendering of functional domestic artifacts. Fourteen of their illustrations related to the Index of American Design are preserved in institutional archives, demonstrating the exacting technical standards required by the project.

Notable works documented under Macklem’s name include illustrations such as Hutch Dresser, Candlestick, Flat Iron Stand, Bracket Lamp, and Bucket. These images serve as important records of early American material culture.

The primary institutional holding of Macklem's surviving body of work is the National Gallery of Art. Today, many of these historical records, classified as Leslie Macklem prints and drawings, are in the public domain, making these museum-quality images accessible for scholarship and historical research.