Alfonso Iannelli was an Italian-American sculptor, artist, and industrial designer. Iannelli was born in Andretta, Italy on February 17, 1888. He came to America in 1898 and lived Chicago for most of his life, He studied to be a sculptor under Gutzon Borglum, later famous for Mount Rushmore.

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.

Ianelli worked with Frank Lloyd Wright on his Midway Gardens project in 1914 where he created several of the Midway's "Sprite" sculptures for Wright. He then collaborated with Prairie School design architects Purcell and Elmslie 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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_Iannelli