Known for his paintings, lithographs, woodcuts and book illustrations, Scranton, PA native Michael J. Gallagher (1898–1965) was among the foremost American printmakers of the Great Depression era.
Raised in a coal mining family, his experiences growing up in the anthracite region strongly influenced his art. After serving in World War I and recovering from tuberculosis, he studied at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, fomenting his career as both a commercial illustrator and fine artist.
During the 1930s, Gallagher became involved with the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project, where he helped develop the innovative carborundum printmaking process alongside fellow artists Dox Thrash and Hugh Mesibov. His work often focused on miners and laborers, capturing the hardships, social ramifications, and resilience of industrial life, with prints such as Mine Accident, Explosion, and Mine Cave-In capturing the tension, danger, and humanity within coal region life.
Today, Gallagher’s art is held in many major museum collections, including Smithsonian Institution, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and he remains an important figure in Pennsylvania regional art history.
Coal Town, lithograph, ca. 1939, 39.16, Gift of the Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration for Pennsylvania
