Simon Weiss

Simon Weiss was an artist and documentarian whose active career is recorded between 1935 and 1936. His documented work is firmly situated within the Index of American Design (IAD), a crucial initiative of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) dedicated to documenting American folk and decorative arts history.

Weiss contributed documentation for 15 designs to the Index, focusing primarily on furniture and metalwork. This specialized focus reflects the IAD’s mandate to create a comprehensive visual record of American craftsmanship. Specific documented examples of his work include designs for functional objects such as a Chair, a Chandelier, a Silver Mug, and a Silver Covered Sugar Urn.

The institutional significance of Weiss’s contribution is affirmed by the inclusion of his documentation in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. These design records provide valuable historical insight into American material culture during the period. As documentary studies created for a federally funded project, many of these renderings are now in the public domain, making high-quality prints and downloadable artwork available for researchers and enthusiasts.