John B. Smeraldi (died May 14, 1947) was an Italian-born American muralist, and furniture and interior designer. He painted the ceilings of many buildings, including the ballroom inside the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
John B. Smeraldi | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | May 14, 1947 Bayside, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Muralist, furniture designer, interior designer |
| Spouse | Francesca Smeraldi |
| Children | 2 sons, 3 daughters |
Life
editSmeraldi was born Giovanni Battista Smeraldi in Palermo in December 1859, Sicily, Italy. He emigrated to the United States in 1889.[1][2][3]
Smeraldi began his career as a designer for Marcotte & Co.[1][2] In 1921, he moved to Los Angeles to paint the ceiling of the ballroom inside the Biltmore Hotel.[4] He also painted the ceiling inside the Pasadena Convention Center,[5] and he worked on the Jonathan Club.[1] Beyond California, his work extended to the New York Biltmore Hotel, the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel, The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, and Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Canada.[2]
Smeraldi resided in Los Angeles. With his wife Maria, he had two sons and three daughters. He died on May 14, 1947, in Bayside, New York.[1][2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "John Smeraldi, Artist, Dies". The Los Angeles Times. May 15, 1947. p. 8. Retrieved January 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "John B. Smeraldi Interior Decorator". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 15, 1947. p. 15. Retrieved January 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, History of interior decorations, Earl Heitschmidt, John Smeraldi, Anthony Heinsbergen". www.publicartinla.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ "Record Speed in Building Biltmore. Famous Los Angeles Hotel Is Completed Within Sixteen Months. Eight Weeks Gain On Schedule Fixed. Total Investment to Be Made in Property Is Listed at $6,000,000". Long Beach Press. October 4, 1923. p. 20. Retrieved January 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Holliday, Peter J. (2016). American Arcadia: California and the Classical Tradition. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 70. ISBN 9780190256517. OCLC 1004420552.
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