Biography
Beatrice Anderson (1910-?) was an American illustrator and textile designer best known for her Art Deco drawings for mass-marketing magazines and work displayed in the Textiles U.S.A. exhibit at MoMA in 1956. Born in 1910 in Quincy, Massachusetts, she spent most of her childhood there until moving to Seattle, Washington in her teenage years. Anderson returned to Massachusetts to complete her undergraduate studies at Boston University. During this time, she also studied abroad in Stockholm, Sweden.
In 1925, at the age of fifteen, Anderson created her most well-known portfolio of Art Deco drawings which were used in fashion magazine such as Vogue, advertisements for perfume companies, and magazines for children and families including Child Life and Junior Home. Anderson found herself illustrating at a culturally and politically revolutionary time for young women—the Jazz Age (1919-1942). At the start of the 1920s, the ratification of the 19th amendment allowing white women to vote led to more women seeking work and pursuing higher education. Also, after WWI, a consumer culture emerged leading corporations to advertise their products in widely circulated publications. Notably, the migration of African Americans from the rural south to northern cities empowered a lively jazz culture. Young women found themselves participating in night life and therefore purchased more evening clothes and makeup. Technological advances with birth control pills led to a new ideology regarding female sexuality which also called for new clothing styles. New freedoms for women, the demand for magazine illustrators, and the production of new fashions allowed Anderson to circulate her Art Deco designs.
One of her most well-known designs was used as an advertisement for Parfums Luyna, a Parisian perfume company. The ad portrays a fair woman wearing an ornate dress with a wide skirt and a large hat that has a bow beneath her chin. Silhouettes of perfume bottles are seen behind her. The design was painted with watercolor and gouache on illustration board, which was the most used medium of the 1920s due to the affordability and ability to paint small details that would translate well on shiny magazine paper. In line with the Art Deco Style, the composition’s geometric shapes are evident, such as the woman’s shoulders and figure as well as the designs on her dress. The image also features strong linear elements including the chair and the alignment of the perfume bottles.
The dress appears to be inspired by Parisian designer, Paul Poiret, who was a trailblazer in Art Deco style and designed some of the first non-corseted dresses of the century. The high waisted band at the top of her torso, also known as the lampshade design, allows her body to move more freely. This design reflects the modern woman who takes part in nightlife and works or goes to university. The lace v-neckline and lace sleeves emphasize her sexuality as well. Other elements of the modern woman included heavier makeup and blushed cheeks. A fair complexion was considered desirable at the time, and this aesthetic was emphasized by models featured in ads for household cleaning products by companies such as Palmolive. Parfums Luyna and brands alike were selecting the modern woman archetype to be the face of their brand therefore influencing women to partake in new fashions and exercise their freedoms.
In her later years, Anderson moved back to Massachusetts to the town of East Gloucester. There she opened her own studio called Anderson Studio of Handweaving. One of her draperies made from cotton, viscose, and jute was featured in the 1956 Textiles U.S.A. exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The exhibit was a tribute to great American contemporary textile designers sponsored by the American Fabrics Magazine. There was an open call for works to be submitted, and a seven-member jury selected Anderson’s work alongside the other pieces in the show. Beatrice Anderson has also been recorded as a member of the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, Weavers Guild of Boston, and Massachusetts Society of Handmade Groups.
Little is known about her later years and family life; however, she did exude talent for illustration and textile design with an impressive ability to convey the Art Deco style on her own terms.
Essay by Halle Davies. The Walt Reed Distinguished Intern at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Davies is currently studying art history at Regent's University in London, England. She also participated in the gap year program at Sotheby's Institute of Art, London.
Illustrations by Beatrice Anderson
Additional Resources
Bibliography
Sources:
“Beatrice Anderson.” Delaware Art Museum. Accessed: June 11 2025.https://emuseum.delart.org/people/5117/beatrice-anderson?ctx=55d1b0fb32c05dfbef6dd47ef889063923d4b006&idx=4
“Beatrice Anderson.” MoMA. Accessed: June 11 2025. Beatrice Anderson | MoMA
“Biography of Beatrice M. Anderson (1910-?).”ArtPrice. Accessed: June 11 2025. The biography of Beatrice M. ANDERSON: information and auctions for the artworks by the artist Beatrice M. ANDERSON - Artprice.com
Campbell Coyle, Heather. Jazz Age Illustration. Wilmington: Delaware Art Museum, 2024
“Cover for Junior Home, May 1925.” Delaware Art Museum. Accessed: June 11 2025. Cover for Junior Home, May 1925 – Works – Delaware Art Museum
“Design for an Advertisement for Parfums Luyna.” Delaware Art Museum. Accessed: June 11 2025. https://emuseum.delart.org/objects/11877/design-for-an-advertisement-for-parfums-luyna
“Sorbet Evening Dress.” V&A. Accessed: June 11 2025.https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15549/sorbet-evening-dress-paul-poiret/
“Study for Advertisement for Parfums Luyna.” Delaware Art Museum. Accessed: June 11 2025. https://emuseum.delart.org/objects/11878/study-for-advertisement-for-parfums-luyna
“Study for cover of Child Life, April 1926.” Delaware Art Museum. Accessed: June 11 2025. Study for cover of Child Life, April 1926 – Works – Delaware Art Museum
“Study for cover of Junior Home, December 1925.” Delaware Art Museum. Accessed: June 11 2025. Study for cover of Junior Home, December 1925 – Works – Delaware Art Museum
“Study for cover of Vogue.” Delaware Art Museum. Accessed: June 11 2025.Study for cover of Vogue – Works – Delaware Art Museum
“Textiles U.S.A.” MoMA. Accessed: June 11 2025. Textiles U.S.A. | MoMA
