Sarkis Erganian

Sarkis Erganian was an artist and documentarian active in the United States between 1935 and 1941. His work is primarily associated with the Index of American Designs, a significant New Deal arts initiative dedicated to cataloging historical American decorative, folk, and utilitarian objects.

Erganian specialized in creating detailed visual records, often renderings of historical artifacts intended to preserve the visual heritage of American material culture. Fifteen designs documented by Erganian are represented in museum collections, including the extensive holdings of the National Gallery of Art.

The artist’s documented subjects range widely across domestic items and early mechanical devices. Notable works include studies of the Brazier, the Armoire, and the Bed Warming Pan. He also documented several examples of folk art and mechanical toys, such as the Toy Bank and the highly detailed Toy Bank: "Paddy and the Pig". Today, Sarkis Erganian prints of these designs are often available to researchers and the public. As records created under a government initiative, these museum-quality designs are frequently made available in the public domain, sometimes as royalty-free downloadable artwork.