Alfonso Iannelli
Encyclopedia
Based in Chicago for most of his life, Iannelli was born in Andretta, Italy on February 17, 1888. He came to America in 1898. He studied to be a sculptor under Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American artist and sculptor famous for creating the monumental presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, the famous carving on Stone Mountain near Atlanta, as well as other public works of art.- Background :The son of Mormon Danish immigrants, Gutzon...
, later famous for Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States...
.
From 1910 to 1915, he designed posters for the vaudeville acts appearing at the Orpheum Theatre
Orpheum Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Orpheum Theatre on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, California, opened on February 15, 1926, as the fourth and final Los Angeles venue for the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. After a $3 million renovation, started in 1989, it is the most restored of the historical movie palaces in the city.The...
Los Angeles. Frank Lloyd Wright's son John saw his work and the two became friends. John introduced Iannelli's work to his father. Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
invited Iannelli to work with him on his Midway Gardens project in 1914. Iannelli created several of the Midway's "Sprite" sculptures for Wright, but Wright took all credit for them, and the two would never collaborate again.
After Midway Gardens, Iannelli collaborated with noted Chicago area Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
design architects Purcell and Elmslie, notably at the Woodbury County Courthouse, and with architect Barry Byrne
Barry Byrne
Francis Barry Byrne was initially a member of the group of architects known as the Prairie School. After the demise of the Prairie School about 1914-16, Byrne continued as a successful architect by developing his own personal style.-Biography:Francis Barry Byrne was born and raised in Chicago...
for several church projects in the American midwest, and one in Ireland. Iannelli also worked on quite a few exhibitions for the 1933 Century of Progress
Century of Progress
A Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation...
Chicago World's Fair.
He went on to open Iannelli Studios in Park Ridge, Illinois
Park Ridge, Illinois
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...
in collaboration with his wife Margaret, a talented illustrator and artist in her own right. Iannelli Studios grew to become one of Chicago's most famous art studios at the time. They brought in more collaborators and expanded into commercial design, advertising, product design and architectural interiors.
Among Iannelli's most famous industrial designs are the Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
-inspired C-20 Coffeemaster vacuum coffeemaker and T9 electric toaster for Sunbeam Products
Sunbeam Products
Sunbeam Products is an American brand that has produced electric home appliances since 1910. Their products have included the Mixmaster mixer, the Sunbeam CG waffle iron, Coffeemaster and the fully automatic T20 toaster. Sunbeam is owned by Jarden Consumer Solutions after Jarden's acquisition in...
, which the company introduced as its flagship modern appliances in honor of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Iannelli also designed many significant interiors for churches and movie theaters, two of which remain in operation today; the Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge and the Catlow Theater
Catlow Theater
The Catlow Theater is a historic single-screen movie theater located in the heart of downtown Barrington, Illinois. Wright Catlow opened the theater in May 1927. Betts & Holcomb served as the architects and the interiors were designed by Prairie School sculptor and designer Alfonso Iannelli...
in Barrington, Illinois
Barrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
. He also designed the large-scale Rock of Gibraltar
Rock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...
relief on the facade of the Prudential Building (now called One Prudential Plaza
One Prudential Plaza
One Prudential Plaza is a 41-story structure in Chicago completed in 1955 as the headquarters for Prudential's Mid-America company...
) in Chicago.
He died in Chicago, Illinois in March 1965.