Van Nest Polglase (August 25, 1898 – December 20, 1968) was an American art director.
[1] Best remembered as head of the design department at RKO Pictures, he worked on 333 films between 1925 and 1957.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.
[2][3] Polglase studied Beaux-Arts architecture and interior design in New York City where he entered practice with the architectural firm of Berg and Orchard, before moving to Havana in 1917 where he was an associate designer on the Presidential Palace.
[4][5][6] On his return to New York City in 1919, he signed with Famous Players–Lasky (later reorganised as Paramount) whose art director Wiard Ihnen had recommended him as a draftsman.