John B. Smeraldi

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
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
DiedMay 14, 1947
Bayside, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Muralist, furniture designer, interior designer
SpouseFrancesca Smeraldi
Children2 sons, 3 daughters

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]

References
  1. "John Smeraldi, Artist, Dies". The Los Angeles Times. May 15, 1947. p. 8. Retrieved January 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "John B. Smeraldi Interior Decorator". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 15, 1947. p. 15. Retrieved January 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, History of interior decorations, Earl Heitschmidt, John Smeraldi, Anthony Heinsbergen". www.publicartinla.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  4. "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.
  5. 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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