Samuel Faigin

Samuel Faigin was an artist active in the United States between 1935 and 1938. His documented output is entirely associated with the Index of American Design (IAD), a federal art project established during the Depression era to create a comprehensive visual archive of American decorative and folk art. Faigin contributed 15 documented index sheets to the project, demonstrating skill in rendering historical and functional objects with meticulous detail.

The nature of Faigin’s work involves the faithful visual transcription of existing artifacts, preserving visual records of American craft and design history. Works represented in museum collections include industrial documentation, such as the detailed rendering of a Log Marker and a study of Cast Iron Cresting. Faigin also documented domestic and personal objects, including a Plate, Table Lamp, and a Blue Silk Scarf.

Faigin’s contributions to the Index of American Design are held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art (NGA). These drawings, often considered museum-quality historical documents, provide researchers and historians with valuable insight into early American material culture. Because these Samuel Faigin prints were created under a federal initiative, many of these images are now in the public domain, making them available as downloadable artwork for educational and non-commercial purposes.