Dale Nichols (1904-1995)


Dale Nichols Museum Collections

Dale Nichols, Mr. Cox's Well Sweep, Graphite on Paper, c. 1935, 7" x 9"
Dale Nichols, Mr. Cox’s Well Sweep, Graphite on Paper, c. 1935, 7″ x 9″

Born in David City, Nebraska, Dale Nichols studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago with Carl Werntz, and with Joseph Binder in Vienna.

Dale Nichols, McGee's Buggy, Graphite on Paper, 6" x 9"

Dale Nichols, McGee’s Buggy, Graphite on Paper, 6″ x 9″

An artist, printmaker, illustrator, watercolorist, designer, writer and lecturer, Dale Nichols was art editor of the “Encyclopedia Britannica” from 1942 to 1948, and in 1930-40, and served as Carnegie visiting professor to the University of Illinois. He was also an early champion of good art in advertising and illustration, and he created artwork for direct-mail industrial advertising in the 1930s and 40s. His Nebraska background was the inspiration for his rural landscapes.

Dale Nichols, Sunday in Palmyra, Graphite on Paper, 7" x 11"

Dale Nichols, Sunday in Palmyra, Graphite on Paper, 7″ x 11″