John B. Smeraldi Explained

John B. Smeraldi
Birth Place:Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Death Date:May 14, 1947
Death Place:Bayside, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Muralist, furniture designer, interior designer
Spouse:Francesca Smeraldi
Children:2 sons, 3 daughters

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.

Life

Smeraldi 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]

Notes and References

  1. News: John Smeraldi, Artist, Dies . January 12, 2020 . The Los Angeles Times . May 15, 1947. 8. Newspapers.com.
  2. News: John B. Smeraldi Interior Decorator . May 15, 1947 . January 12, 2020 . The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 15. Newspapers.com.
  3. Web site: Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, History of interior decorations, Earl Heitschmidt, John Smeraldi, Anthony Heinsbergen. 2020-10-08. www.publicartinla.com.
  4. News: 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 . January 12, 2020 . Long Beach Press . October 4, 1923. 20. Newspapers.com.
  5. Book: Holliday . Peter J. . American Arcadia: California and the Classical Tradition . 2016 . Oxford University Press . New York . 9780190256517 . 1004420552 . 70 .