Illustrator Research - Will H. Bradley

Will H. Bradley (1868-1962) was an American Art Nouveau illustrator and artist. His first job was at the age of 11, when he became a printer's devil (or apprentice) for a weekly newspaper. After awhile, he left his home town of Boston for Chicago, Illinois, where he held several jobs before dedicating himself to freelance graphic design. He then returned to Boston and set up the Wayside Press, where he illustrated, edited, designed, and managed his own periodical. Bradley: His Book was devoted to "Art, Literature, and Printing." His illustrations, typography, and other work appeared in several well-known magazines, but his reputation grew because of the bold posters he designed for the Chap-Book, a Chicago literary journal.

Bradley's posters were the first examples of Art Nouveau in the United States, and played a big role in popularizing it. He was influenced by Aubrey Beardsley's bold areas of contrast and sinuous lines. In fact, his work compared so much with Beardsley's that critics simply dismissed him, calling him "The American Beardsley." However, Bradley was already an established artist before Beardsley became popular in 1894. He mainly worked in posters, which were being developed by French artists. It was Bradley, however, that popularized it in the U.S.

Bradley was also nicknamed the "Dean of American Designers." Also he was the highest paid American artist of the early 20th century.

Here are more examples of his work.