William Kieckhofel

William Kieckhofel was active as an artist primarily between 1935 and 1937, contributing to the Index of American Design (IAD). The IAD was a significant program established under the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP) during the Great Depression. The initiative commissioned artists to create detailed, high-quality documentation of decorative arts, folk art, and craft items found in the United States, thereby establishing a permanent visual catalog of American material culture.

Kieckhofel’s output focused on precise renderings of historical objects and architectural components. Fifteen works attributed to Kieckhofel are preserved within institutional archives, confirming the artist’s involvement with the IAD project. These original records are held permanently in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Specific documented examples include detailed drawings such as Architectural Detail (Wall Brackets), Bag, Bell, Bit, and Candlestick.

As historical records produced under a federal mandate, these museum-quality designs are often in the public domain, making William Kieckhofel prints available as downloadable artwork for research and study.