[1] Gallagher was born into a mining family in Scranton, PA where he lived until he joined the U.S. Army in World War I.
[2] A doctor noticed Gallagher’s immense artistic talent and suggested that he apply for scholarships to attend the Philadelphia Museum and School of Industrial Art.
[3] Gallagher followed this advice and began his formal art training.
[4] During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt and congress passed multiple work relief programs, Roosevelt commenced a $5 billion program called Works Progress Administration (WPA), which sought to employee Americans in various fields including artists under the Federal Arts Project(FAP)[5] In 1935, Gallagher was hired as technical director of the Philadelphia Printmaking branch of the WPA art project.
[6] Along with other WPA artists Dox Thrash and Hugh Mesibov, helped to pioneer a new technique of print making, the carborundum printmaking or carbograph.