Helen Dryden
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Helen Dryden (1887-1981) was an American artist and designer. She was described by Woman's Journal [1] and New York Times [2] as being one of the highest paid woman artists in the United States during the early part of the 20th century.
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[edit] Education
She was born in Baltimore and moved to Philadelphia when she was 7 years old to attend Eden Hall. During her early childhood years Dryden showed unusual artistic ability designing and selling clothes for paper dolls. Eventually she sold a set of her paper dolls and dresses to a newspaper for use in its fashion section. This, in turn, led to a position as illustrator for Anne Rittenhouse’s fashion articles in the Philadelphia Public Ledger and The Philadelphia Press.
Dryden was largely self-trained, describing her works as “a combination of things I like, in the way I want to do them.” Her artistic education consisted of 4 years of training in landscape painting under Hugh Breckinridge and one summer school session at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Deciding that she had no real interest in landscape painting, Dryden focused her complete attention on fashion design and illustration.
[edit] Career
[edit] Fashion illustration
After moving to New York in 1909, Helen Dryden spent a year trying to interest fashion magazines in her drawings. None, however, showed any interest in her work and many were harsh with criticism. Dryden was particularly disappointed in her rejection by Vogue. Less than a year later, however, Conde Nast assumed management of Vogue and set out to make changes. Upon seeing Miss Dryden’s drawings, they directed the fashion editor to contact her immediately. Soon Helen had a Vogue contract that led to a 13-year collaboration (1909–1922) in which she produced many Vogue fashion illustrations and covers.
[edit] Costume design
In addition to her prolific career as an illustrator, in 1914 Dryden launched a successful career as a costume designer. She designed the costumes and scenery for the musical comedy Watch Your Step, followed by designs for several other stage plays including Claire de Lune, the fanciful drama based loosely on a Victor Hugo romance. Although the play starred Lionel and Ethel Barrymore, Helen Dryden’s costume designs were generally given equal credit for the play’s success.[citation needed]
[edit] Industrial design
Following the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Dryden turned her attention to industrial design, producing a number of designs for tableware, lamps etc. on behalf of the Revere Corp. She had a high-paying job for the Dura Company of until the stock market crash of 1929, at which point she was replaced by George W. Walker. [1]
It was her design input on the 1937 Studebaker President, that established Helen Dryden as an important 20th Century Industrial Designer. Although her work was completed under the watchful eye of the renowned automotive designer Raymond Loewy, Studebaker ads proclaimed, “It's Styled by Helen Dryden.” [2]
