John DeStefano
Encyclopedia
John DeStefano, was an American
sculptor, painter
and businessman.
Born in Avellino
, Italy
, he immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts with his family at the age of six. DeStefano studied at the North Bennett Street Industrial School and earned a scholarship to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts but was forced to drop out after two years due to a lack of funds.
In 1933, while still a student, DeStefano created a cast bronze bas-relief profile portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that is located in the Roosevelt Room
of the White House
and is highlighted by tour guides. Former Boston mayors James Michael Curley
and John F. Fitzgerald
and two local businessmen provided the funds for the bronze and for DeStefano to travel to Washington D.C. to personally present the work to Roosevelt. Many of DeStefano's future subjects were also of a civic nature.
During the Great Depression, DeStefano worked as an art teacher and on projects for the federal Works Projects Administration jobs program. Although his lifelong ambition was to be a professional artist, DeStefano felt that he could not support his family with his artwork. In 1937, DeStefano established a business, DeStefano Studios House of Mannequins, which restored and created mannequins for local department stores. During World War II, DeStefano served in the United States Navy
in the South Pacific as a member of the 58th Seabee Battalion
. He returned to his business after the war and continued to make mannequins commercially until his retirement in the 1980s.
By the late 1970s, DeStefano's factory in Woburn, Massachusetts
produced over 3,000 mannequins a day for stores such as Jordan Marsh
, Filenes and Lord and Taylor. In a 1979 profile, the Boston Globe referred to DeStefano as "the dean of local mannequin makers."
As an artist, DeStefano worked in cast bronze
, terra cotta
and stone. His sculptures are displayed at Plimouth Plantation and at Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sculptor, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and businessman.
Born in Avellino
Avellino
Avellino is a town and comune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains 42 km north-east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento.-History:Before the Roman conquest, the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, he immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts with his family at the age of six. DeStefano studied at the North Bennett Street Industrial School and earned a scholarship to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts but was forced to drop out after two years due to a lack of funds.
In 1933, while still a student, DeStefano created a cast bronze bas-relief profile portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that is located in the Roosevelt Room
Roosevelt Room
The Roosevelt Room is a meeting room in the West Wing of the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located almost in the center of the West Wing, and near the Oval Office the room is named for two related U.S. presidents, Theodore Roosevelt...
of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and is highlighted by tour guides. Former Boston mayors James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley was an American politician famous for his four terms as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. He also served twice in the United States House of Representatives and one term as 53rd Governor of Massachusetts.-Early life:Curley's father, Michael Curley, left Oughterard, County...
and John F. Fitzgerald
John F. Fitzgerald
John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald was an Irish-American politician and the maternal grandfather of three prominent United States politicians—President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Senators Robert Francis Kennedy and Edward Moore Kennedy.-Early life and family:Fitzgerald was born in...
and two local businessmen provided the funds for the bronze and for DeStefano to travel to Washington D.C. to personally present the work to Roosevelt. Many of DeStefano's future subjects were also of a civic nature.
During the Great Depression, DeStefano worked as an art teacher and on projects for the federal Works Projects Administration jobs program. Although his lifelong ambition was to be a professional artist, DeStefano felt that he could not support his family with his artwork. In 1937, DeStefano established a business, DeStefano Studios House of Mannequins, which restored and created mannequins for local department stores. During World War II, DeStefano served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in the South Pacific as a member of the 58th Seabee Battalion
Seabees in World War II
The history of the United States Navy Seabees in World War II begins with the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. After the attack and the United States entry into the war, the use of civilian labor in war zones became impractical...
. He returned to his business after the war and continued to make mannequins commercially until his retirement in the 1980s.
By the late 1970s, DeStefano's factory in Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95.- History :...
produced over 3,000 mannequins a day for stores such as Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
, Filenes and Lord and Taylor. In a 1979 profile, the Boston Globe referred to DeStefano as "the dean of local mannequin makers."
As an artist, DeStefano worked in cast bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
and stone. His sculptures are displayed at Plimouth Plantation and at Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
.