Illustrator and muralist Thornton Oakley was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in architecture. Then he studied with Howard Pyle, founder of the Brandywine School. While at the school, Oakley was responsible for the school's supply store, sales, inventory, and collecting students' monthly accounts.

Oakley illustrated numerous books and magazines, including Harper's, Century Magazine, Collier's Weekly, and Everybody's Magazine. Known for paintings of industrial America, his work is found in the collections of numerous institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Historical Society of P...