William H. Bradley

William H. Bradley (10 July, 1868 to 1962), was an American Art Nouveau illustrator and artist. Nicknamed the "Dean of American Designers", he was the highest paid American artist of the early 20th century.

Biography

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and at the age of 14 he obtained a job as a printer for a weekly newspaper. He later left for Chicago, Illinois, where he held a few brief jobs as a wood engraver and typographer before dedicating himself to freelance graphic design. He moved back to Massachusetts and set up the Wayside Press, where he served as an illustrator, editor, typographer, designer, and press manager for a periodical aptly named "Bradley: His Book". The periodical usually contained compilations of poetry, stories, and sketches, and his work received a warm reception. He had achieved financial success, but the stress of managing so many projects at once began to damage his health, and he collapsed at the age of 28. He recovered quickly, but he was forced to sell the Wayside Press. He later worked as a consultant for the American Type Founders and as an editor for Collier's Weekly. He worked briefly with children’s books, then for William Randolph Hearst’s film division as a set designer. In 1954, Bradley published a memoir of his life, called "Bradley: His Chap Book", though only 650 copies were ever published. The same year, he won the AIGA award, the highest honor for graphic designers. He was a prolific artist and designer up until his death at age 94.

Artistic Style

His artistic style is considered a branch of Art Nouveau, though it draws heavily from the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts Movement and Japanese block printing. His work was often compared to that of his English contemporary, Aubrey Beardsley, so much so that some critics dismissed him as simply “The American Beardsley.” It should be noted that Bradley was already an established artist by the time Beardsley’s designs became popular in England in 1894. Bradley's primary medium was posters, at the time a developing art form. Poster art was pioneered at the turn of the century by French artists like Jules Chéret and Toulouse-Lautrec, but Bradley is credited with popularizing the two-dimensional poster style in the United States.

Further reading

* Koch, Robert. (2002). "Will H. Bradley: An American Artist in Print." Manchester, Vermont: Hudson Hills Press LLC. ISBN 1555952240.
* Johnson, Diane Chalmers. (1979). "American Art Nouveau." New York: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0810906783

External links

* [http://bindings.lib.ua.edu/gallery/willbradley.html Publisher's Binding Online] Detailed biography and a few images of William Bradley's work.