McClelland Barclay

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! Born in 1891, McClelland Barclay is a recognized and accomplished painter, illustrator, sculptor, and jewelry designer from St. Louis, Missouri. One of Barclay's earliest awards was for the Navy Poster Prize in 1917 for his poster, "Fill the Breach."

McClelland Barclay had developed a successful art career by the time he became lieutenant in the Naval Reserve in 1938. It was during this time when Barclay created a company to start producing his jewelry designs and figural items for the home or office. His figural items, like the Sailfish we have pictured is currently up for auction on PurplePatty.com, were cast in metal with a thick bronze finish.

While Barclay worked in the Naval Recruiting office in New York during the early 1940s, he produced some of the Navy's most popular recruiting images of World War II. On July 18, 1943 while he had been aboard LST-342 sketching and taking photos, a Japanese submarine fired a torpedo that quickly sank the stern where Barclay and most of the crew lost their lives.

Since McClelland Barclay's death, he has been awarded the 1944 Art Directors Club Medal in recognition of his editorial illustration, advertising art and devotion as a commissioned officer. In 1995, the Society of Illustrators inducted Barclay into their Hall of Fame.

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From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty