Alfonso Iannelli

Alfonso Iannelli 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, later famous for Mount Rushmore.

From 1910 to 1915, he designed posters for the vaudeville acts appearing at the Orpheum Theatre 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 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 design architects Purcell and Elmslie, notably at 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 quite a few exhibitions for the 1933 Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair.

He went on to open Iannelli Studios in Park Ridge, Illinois 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-inspired C-20 Coffeemaster vacuum coffeemaker and T9 electric toaster for Sunbeam Products, which the company introduced as its flagship modern appliances in honor of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Iannelli also designed many historic 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. He also designed the large-scale Rock of Gibraltar relief on the facade of the Prudential Building (now called One Prudential Plaza) in Chicago.

He died in Chicago, Illinois in March 1965.

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