Beulah Bradleigh

Beulah Bradleigh was an artist active during a concentrated period between 1935 and 1937. Bradleigh’s work is primarily associated with the Index of American Designs, a vast documentation project undertaken during the Great Depression aimed at preserving the visual history of American decorative arts and folk art.

This focus required meticulous, factual illustration of historical objects rather than expressive creation. Bradleigh’s documented subjects emphasize utilitarian and decorative objects, reflecting forms and craftsmanship characteristic of early American design.

The artist's contributions are held in major institutional collections, including the National Gallery of Art. The NGA collection contains fifteen entries attributed to Bradleigh's work for the Index of American Designs, alongside specific renderings of artifacts. Notable documented works include the Carpet Bag, the Pewter Tea Set, and multiple studies of pewterware such as the Pewter Coffee Pot and the Pewter Teapot.

As a result of their inclusion in federal projects, many of Bradleigh's documented designs are now preserved in the public domain. These detailed illustrations represent a specific historical subset of art records, ensuring that the high-quality prints derived from this documentation remain valuable resources for historians and designers today.