Wright Plus 2016 Excursion: Modern Renaissance Man: Alfonso Iannelli in Park Ridge

Creator of the angular Sprite statues at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Midway Gardens, Alfonso Iannelli (1888-1965) was a prolific and versatile designer whose work reflects the evolution of contemporary design over the first half the 20th century.

Iannelli got his start designing theater posters in the early 1900s. After moving to Chicago to work at Midway Gardens, Iannelli collaborated with architects in the 1920s and 1930s, resulting in a number of art deco interiors in the Chicago area. His later product designs for Sunbeam appliances stand as mid-century modern icons.

Visit the Iannelli Studios Heritage Center in Park Ridge, IL, situated on the Des Plaines River about 15 miles northwest of Chicago, where the designer worked with his wife, Margaret. Stop for a tour of the nearby Pickwick Theater (1928), designed by Harold Zook, Iannelli and William McCaughey. See the Cedar Court Cottages (c.1923), a Cotswold Cottage-style housing development and collaboration between Iannelli and Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Barry Byrne in response to developer William H. Malone’s request for designs.

Excursion offered on Friday, May 20, departing at 9 am. Starts from the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 931 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park and returns to Oak Park by 5 pm.

Information and Tickets