Mary Berner

Mary Berner was an artist active around 1935, specializing in the documentation of material culture and craft objects. Her work is strongly associated with the Index of American Design, a project dedicated to recording American decorative arts and folk traditions.

Berner is credited with documenting fifteen designs for the Index. The subjects of these records emphasize craft traditions, including textiles, basketry, and personal items. Specific works represented in collections include the Applique Quilt, Bag, two entries listed simply as Basket, and the detailed study of a Beaded Robe.

These important historical records are preserved in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. The emphasis on documenting historically significant objects ensures that many of the resulting Mary Berner prints and design studies are often available to the public, offering valuable public domain insight into American craft traditions. The highly detailed nature of the work provides museum-quality documentation crucial for scholars of American material culture.