Virginia Berge

Virginia Berge was an artist active during a concentrated period, primarily between 1935 and 1937. Their known output is directly linked to the Index of American Designs, a national project dedicated to documenting and archiving historical American decorative and folk arts. This database currently records fifteen works produced by Berge for this index.

Berge focused on detailed, technical studies of historical garments and textile items. Their work captures specific aspects of early American clothing, emphasizing structure and design fidelity necessary for the archival project. Specific documented pieces held in institutional archives include studies such as Child's Dress, Girl's Dress, and Infant's Bib. These precise renderings serve as valuable primary sources for textile history. Today, Virginia Berge prints related to these important historical designs are valued by researchers.

Fifteen of the artist’s designs are preserved in museum collections, reflecting the national scope and credibility of the Index of American Designs. The work of Virginia Berge is represented in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of their origin in federal documentation projects, many of these historical studies are now available in the public domain, allowing access to high-quality prints for education and scholarship.