Bradley was born July 10, 1868, in
Boston,
Massachusetts, to Aaron Bradley and Sarah Rowland. At the age of 12 he obtained a job as an apprentice for a weekly newspaper — the
Iron Agitator, later known as the
Iron Ore — in
Ishpeming, Michigan. He had moved there with his mother to be with family after the death of his father. He left at 17 for
Chicago, Illinois, where he held a few brief jobs as a wood engraver and typographer before dedicating himself to freelance
graphic design. He moved back to Massachusetts and set up the Wayside Press, where he served as an illustrator, editor, typographer, designer, and press manager for a magazine he named
Bradley, His Book. The periodical usually contained compilations of poetry, stories, and sketches, and his work received a warm reception. He had achieved financial success, but the stress of managing so many projects at once began to damage his health, and he collapsed at the age of 28. He recovered quickly, but he was forced to sell the Wayside Press. From 1895 to about 1900, Bradley produced some of the elaborate posters and full-page magazine advertisements commissioned by ink manufacturer
Ault & Wiborg; his designs have been collected by noted institutions, including
Library of Congress and the University of Delaware. He later worked as a consultant for the
American Type Founders and as an editor for ''
Collier's Weekly''. He worked briefly with children's books, then for
William Randolph Hearst's film division as a supervising art director and assistant director on the Wharton Brothers' serial films
Beatrice Fairfax (
1916) and
Patria (
1917). Bradley founded his own production company, Dramafilms, and went on to write, produce and direct his own films, including
Bitter Fruit (
1920),
Moongold (
1920) and
The Tame Cat (
1921). In 1954, The Typophiles published a memoir of Bradley's life called
Will Bradley: His Chap Book, a limited edition of 650 copies. The same year, he won the
AIGA medal, the highest honor for graphic designers. He was a prolific artist and designer up until his death at age 93. ==Artistic style==