Timeline of the Work of Alfonso Iannelli and the Iannelli Home and Studio

By rosetallulah

  • A.I. born in Andretta, Italy

    he is born in italy, to a poor family

  • A.I. apprentices with a decorator in Italy

  • A. I. immigrates with his family to America

    by boat from italy

  • Studies in NY

    at the Art Student's League in NY. Studied under various important teachers.

  • A.I. moves to CA

    Where he works with and for established artists in architectural decoration, stained glass, posters, architecture

  • A.I. commissioned to make large stained glass window for Orpheum Theater in L.A.

  • A.I. marries Julia Percy. Marriage does not last long

  • A.I. designs vaudiville posters for Orpheum Theater chain

    From 1910- 1915 cver 100 posters which are considered to be his earliest and greatest contribution to the Modernism movement. These posters were used for the traveling vaudeville acts. Done in tempera and metalic ink. WIth cut-outs where theatre owners could insert dates of shows.
    "A keystone of Modernism" "His Orpheum posters place him squarely at the vangaurd of Aerican Moderism years before the 1913 N.Y. Armory show officially gae birth to the concept of "Modern Art"

  • Designs Orpheum Posters in L.A.

    Posters are considered still by art historians to be some of the most modern created in the U.S. prior to WWI

  • created " show cards" for Orphium

    like posters, now highly collectible pieces of art.

  • A.I. opens Iannelli Home and Studio with Margret Spaulding

    Margaret, an illustrator for children's books and school primers, changed AI's outlook on ar. They later married.

  • Margret and Alfonso design together

    Many commercial/graphics products:Architechtural interiors,
    industrial products, graphic designs,
    fashion advertisements, and gift wrapping for Marshall Fields.

  • Midway Gardens

    with Frank Lloyd Wright. M.G. was a huge entertainment center like Navy Pier today, in Chicago. Theatre, dining, gardens. Designed by FLW, and ornamental work done by A.I. Lots of bickering over this project; A.I. felt FLW did not give him sufficient credit for his sculptures, the Sprites.. After this project was completed, there was a big fight about it and the two men never worked together again.

  • A.I. comes to Chicago to work with FLW on Midway Gardens project

    Settles in Park Ridge, setting up his home with his wife MArgaret, and also his studio, with a group of artists, designers, and architects.
    "I.S. 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, prodeuct design, and architectural interiors.

  • Immaculata High School Chicago

    A.I. designer and architect

  • 1915 finishes work on Orpheum posters

    "I do not want to be labeled as 'the poster man'"

  • Court House at Souix City Iowa

    A.I. designer and architect of this noteworthy public building.

  • St Thomas High School

    Racine WI designer and architect

  • A.I. collaborated on the Woodbury County Courthouse in Souix City Iowa

    The Woodbury County Courthouse is a building that fills an entire quarter block in Sioux City, Iowa. It is regarded as "one through `1918 . Considered to be of the finest Prairie School buildings in the United States"[3] and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. It is used for legal proceedings in the county.

  • Margret & Alfonso get married

    They have two children (a third one died).

  • A.I. Exhibition at Art Institute of Chicago

    A.I. honored with a one-man exhibition of his work to date at A.I. Chicago. His work is still in the collection of the Art Institurte today.

  • Iannelli's 3rd child dies, and Margret has a mental breakdown

    margaret enters sanatorium where she lives for the remainder of her life.

  • solo exhibiton at the art intitute of chicago

    furniture, packaging

  • Pickwick Theatre Park Ridge IL

    A.I. design. Created with Aztec or Mayan theme. Has historical /landmark status now.

  • Midway Gardens is demolished.

    ruins pushed into lake mishigan

  • A.I. begins working as industrial designer for Sunbeam

    Designs iconic logo on the coffee pot, creamer, sugar bowl, still used today. Created appliances with a Modernist shape, very foward-thinking.

  • A.I. contributes to design for World's Fair

    pavillions, rides, and entrances

  • designs for the chicago worlds fair pavillion, gates, and ornaments.

  • A.I. creates iconic design for Courinette :gold-filled pen and pencil

  • Sunbeam introduces Alfonso's products as their newest, most innovative products.

    A line of Sunbean products feature A.I.'s designs

  • A.I. ends work with Sunbeam

  • A.I. sculpts the Rock of Gibaltar emblem/relief for Prudential Insurance Building on Michigan Avenue, Chicago

    ten years before death

  • A.I. writes his final letter of complaint to F.L.W. five years before death

    A.I. and F.L.W. fought about the Sprites and who deserved credit for them, for decades!

  • death of A.I. in Chicago

    he dies

  • Margaret dies.

  • Entire contents of Iannelli Studio purchased by Kelms Cott Gallery of Chicago

  • Kalo Foundation fights hard to preserve Iannelli Home and Studio from demolition

    ... and they win!

  • A.I. Home and Studio is awarded Landmark Status