Wooden Indian
c. 1936
Elmer G. Anderson's striking drawing serves as a scale model—marked '1/6 full size' at the bottom—for a classic 'cigar store Indian' statue. The figure stands tall in profile, draped in a heavy blanket and wearing a feathered headdress, capturing the stoic pose typical of these 19th-century trade signs. Created around 1936, likely during the Federal Art Project era, it preserves the history of a ubiquitous American folk art symbol that was slowly disappearing from city streets. The artist carefully details the fringe and fabric folds, transforming a commercial sign into a dignified, realistic portrait.
- Technique
- Watercolor and ink
- Material
- Paper