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Alfonso Iannelli (February 17, 1888 – March 23, 1965) was an Italian-American sculptor, artist, and industrial designer. 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 John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (March 25, 1867 – March 6, 1941) was an American sculpture, sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Moun ...
, later famous for
Mount Rushmore The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a National Memorial (United States), national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (, or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dak ...
. From 1910 to 1915, he designed posters for the vaudeville acts appearing at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Architect
John Lloyd Wright John Lloyd Wright (December 12, 1892 – December 20, 1972) was an American architect and toy inventor. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Wright was the second-oldest son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. John Lloyd Wright became estranged from his fath ...
saw his work, and the two became friends. John introduced Iannelli's work to his father,
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
, who invited Iannelli to work with him on his Midway Gardens project in 1914. Iannelli created several of the Midway's ''Sprite'' sculptures for Wright. Wright, however, claimed credit for the pieces, leading to a bitter division and the ultimate demise of their partnership. He also collaborated with Chicago architect Ernest A. Grunsfeld III on several Art Déco-style plaques in 1929 to 1930 for the
Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium is a public museum in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1930 by local businessman Max Adler (Sears), Max Adler. Located on the northeastern tip of Northerly Island on Lake Michigan ...
. These contributions include the zodiac signs of astrology and depictions of the planets in their mythological forms. About this time, Ianelli also designed an exterior fountain for the Riverside Studio in
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
.Krehbiel, Randy. "Riverside Studio's hillside hideaway has art deco spotlighted." ''Tulsa World''. April 22, 2001.
Accessed March 22, 2017.
Noted architect
Bruce Goff Bruce Alonzo Goff (June 8, 1904 – August 4, 1982) was an American architect, distinguished by his organic, eclectic, and often flamboyant designs for houses and other buildings in Oklahoma and elsewhere. A 1951 ''Life'' magazine article sta ...
completed the building in 1929 for a local music teacher named Patti Adams Shriner. The Riverside Studio was listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2001. Afterward, Iannelli collaborated with noted Chicago area
Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...
design architects Purcell and Elmslie, notably on the Woodbury County Courthouse, and with architect Barry Byrne for several church projects in the American Midwest, and one in Ireland. Iannelli also worked on numerous exhibitions at the 1933
Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Exposit ...
(Chicago World's Fair), including the Radio Flyer and Havoline Thermometer buildings. He went on to open Iannelli Studios in
Park Ridge, Illinois Park Ridge is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 39,656. It is located north of downtown Chicago. It is close to O'Hare International Airpo ...
, 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 included 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 is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by Aerodynamics, aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In indu ...
-inspired C-20 "Coffeemaster" vacuum coffeemaker and T-9 electric toaster for
Sunbeam Products Sunbeam Products is an American company founded in 1897 that has produced electric home appliances under the Sunbeam name since 1910. Its products have included the Mixmaster mixer, the Sunbeam CG waffle iron, Coffeemaster (1938–1964) and ...
, which the company introduced as its flagship modern appliances in honor of the 1939 New York World's Fair. In the mid-1930s, he created for the Wahl Eversharp company an Art Deco design for a fountain pen and accompanying mechanical pencil. http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/coronet.htm Later known as the Eversharp Coronet, the rare pen is one of the most coveted fountain pens among pen enthusiasts today. 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 in
Barrington, Illinois Barrington is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook and Lake County, Illinois, Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 10,722 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A northwest suburb of Chicago, the area featu ...
. He also designed the large-scale ''
Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar (from the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq , meaning "Mountain of Tariq ibn Ziyad, Tariq") is a monolithic limestone mountain high dominating the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated near the end of a nar ...
'' relief on the facade of the Prudential Building (now called
One Prudential Plaza One Prudential Plaza (formerly known as the Prudential Building) is a 41-story structure in Chicago completed in 1955 as the headquarters for Prudential Financial, Prudential's Mid-America company. It was the first skyscraper built in Chicago ...
) in Chicago. He was the father of Fons Iannelli, the photo-journalist and grandfather of Kim Iannelli, who under the name Kim King played with Lothar and the Hand People. He died in Chicago on 23 March 1965.


Images

File:Church of Saint Francis Xavier Kansas City MO.jpg, Church of Saint Francis Xavier,
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, one of several churches designed by architect Barry Byrne incorporating architectural sculpture by Iannelli Image:Arizona Biltmore - Wright sprite 3.JPG, Replicas of the Midway Gardens ''Sprites'', located at the
Arizona Biltmore Hotel The Arizona Biltmore is a historic resort located in Phoenix, Arizona, near 24th Street and Camelback Road. Designed by Albert Chase McArthur, it opened on February 23, 1929, as part of the Biltmore Hotel chain. Actors Clark Gable and Carole ...
,
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
File:Immaculata High School (Roman Catholic), 640 West Irving Park Road, Chicago (Cook County, Illinois).jpg, Figure of Mother Mary above the entrance of the Immaculata High School, Chicago (removed circa 1981).The statue is now located at the former home and studio of Iannelli at 255 N. Northwest Highway, Park Ridge.


References


External links


Alfonso Iannelli - Architect, Artist and DesignerCatlow TheaterPickwick TheatreFrank Lloyd Wright FoundationBarry ByrneAlfonso Iannelli collection, N235
Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis, MN {{DEFAULTSORT:Iannelli, Alfonso 1888 births 1965 deaths American industrial designers Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors Artists from Park Ridge, Illinois 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American male artists American male sculptors Sculptors from Illinois