Beatrice Judd Ryan
Australian-born American gallerist, Galerie Beaux Arts from 1925 to 1933
About Beatrice Judd Ryan
Lived 1880 – 1966 (aged 85–86). Beatrice Judd Ryan was an Australian and American gallerist, art dealer, philanthropist, director, lecturer and curator.
Beatrice Judd Ryan (née Beatrice Bromfield; c.1880 – December 1, 1966) was an Australian-born American gallerist, art dealer, curator, arts philanthropist, and poet. She was best known for her work in prompting modern art, as a founding director of Galerie Beaux Arts in San Francisco, and as an organizer of the 1940 "Art in Action" program at the Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE). She was nicknamed "Mrs. San Francisco", for her tirelessly support of West Coast artists. Her mother established the first Christian Science Church on the peninsula (in the San Francisco Bay Area). Their mission was to show modernist art, this was the first contemporary art gallery in the city.
An image of Ryan is painted into the park scene (in the far left, sitting in the artist group) in the Beach Chalet murals (1936), by Lucien Labaudt.
During the Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) in 1939 to 1940, Ryan served as the State Director of Exhibitions, and she organized the "Art in Action" program. In 1945, she worked at the Rotunda Gallery at the City of Paris store in San Francisco.
After her death in 1966, she bequeathed money to multiple museums in San Francisco the "Beatrice Judd Ryan Bequest Fund purchase", with the clause that the museum had to regularly buy West Coast modern art for their collections.
Publications
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Beatrice Judd Ryan's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Beatrice Judd Ryan?
Australian-born American gallerist, Galerie Beaux Arts from 1925 to 1933 (c.1880–1966)
When was Beatrice Judd Ryan born?
Beatrice Judd Ryan was born in 1880 in Melbourne.
When did Beatrice Judd Ryan die?
Beatrice Judd Ryan died on 1 December 1966 in San Francisco.
What was Beatrice Judd Ryan's occupation?
Beatrice Judd Ryan was a gallerist, art dealer, philanthropist, director, lecturer and curator.
What nationality was Beatrice Judd Ryan?
Beatrice Judd Ryan was Australian and American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Beatrice Judd Ryan
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Beatrice Judd Ryan. https://biography.guide/beatrice-judd-ryan/
MLA: "Beatrice Judd Ryan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/beatrice-judd-ryan/.
Chicago: "Beatrice Judd Ryan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/beatrice-judd-ryan/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:32 UTC