In 1959, fresh from the halls of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, David Knapp embarked on a career in mechanical engineering. With a sharp mind and a passion for industry, he spent decades immersed in the foundry world, shaping metal, refining processes, and contributing to the backbone of American manufacturing. But as the years passed, he discovered another way to shape the world—not with blueprints, but with brushes. Knapp’s fascination with foundry work extended beyond its mechanics. He saw poetry in the molten metal pouring into molds, the interplay of fire and shadow, the sheer craftsmanship of molders and coremakers. In quiet moments, he captured these seldom seen images on canvas in his home loft, layer by layer, painting the raw beauty of industry. Over the years, his collection grew to over 60 works, each an intimate tribute to the unseen artistry of foundry work.
As retirement approached, David pondered his legacy. These paintings weren’t just personal – they were historical. The foundries that had once roared with life were fading, replaced by automation, efficiency, and the quiet hum of machines. He realized that his art could preserve the industry’s spirit, ensuring that future generations would see its beauty and craftsmanship.
Finally in 2025, David made his final, defining gesture – rather than having a few paintings on display at his home or in storage in his garage, he kept a few for family, passed on some to the foundry owners who allowed him access, and donated the balance of his collection to museums and technical societies across the country.
His works now have homes in industrial exhibits, history museums, and galleries where they stand as visual tributes to the labor, heat, and transformation of metalcasting. Among them, six of his most powerful paintings were selected by the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, a Smithsonian affiliate only blocks from his alma mater. The placement felt like a full-circle moment—a tribute to the town where his journey had begun, and in a museum which is actually located on the grounds of the former Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s home steel plant.
Meanwhile, another eight of his pieces found their way to the Grohmann Museum in Milwaukee, the world’s most comprehensive collection dedicated to the evolution of human work. Others can now be found at the Steel Founders Society of America, Crystal Lake, IL and the American Foundry Society in Des Plaines, IL.
Most paintings measure 34” x 48” and the striking thing about David’s art is the collage of scenes depicting the scale of machinery, intensity of color, movement of molten metal and flame, the building architecture and life within industry’s walls. David Knapp, engineer, spent his career building machines; now, David Knapp, foundryman artist, has built something timeless—an artistic legacy that ensures the spirit of foundry work would never fade.
The Foundry Paintings of David Knapp, a retrospective of the artist’s works, will be on view at the National Museum of Industrial History September 13th, 2025 through March 29, 2026.