Drawing books are printed materials for teaching art and design, and they played an essential role in promoting art education in American schools during the 19th century. As a result of rapid industrialization of urban society in North America in the late 19th century, reforming the art curriculum was deemed essential to meet the increasing demand for industrial workers. In order to adapt to the social changes and fulfill the needs of industrialization in an urban society, schools needed new teaching guides to train their youngsters for the necessary skills of arts, crafts, design, and composition. Picture studies thus dominated the art curriculum. In other words, American public schools adopted drawing manuals in response to the pragmatic call for art education in the context of US industrialization. This article explores the history of 19th century American drawing books by artists and art educators Walter Smith, John Rubens Smith, and John Gads by Chapman. It discusses their implications for contemporary art education.