Severo Antonelli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Severo Antonelli (ca. 17th July, 1907 – 9th December,1995), was born in Fara Filiorum Petri, Chieti, Italy, he arrived in Philadelphia with his family when he was fourteen. His father, a cabinet maker working for the Victor company, died when he was seventeen. So Severo left school for work to support the family and in the evenings he attended classes at the Graphic Sketch Club in Philadelphia as preparation for his long and honored career as a photographer and painter.
He enhanced the Italian contribution to American culture and enriched the history of photography in Philadelphia with his artistic endeavors. Antonelli was a legendary figure in the history of the Philadelphia Italian American community. He received international acclaim during the late 1920's and early 1930's. Antonelli's photographs received top awards at major shows in Paris, London, Barcelona, Rotterdam, Brussels, Rome, and Tokyo. While his photographic output included high achievements in the industrial/commercial sphere as well, his reputation was founded on his imaginative portrayal of the human figure and face. In 1938 he founded a school of photography which is still operating today. His figurative works range from playful to provocative.
Late in his life, in 1985, Antonelli married Kay Mauchly, the widow of computer pioneer John Mauchly and herself one of the first computer programmers. Severo and Kathleen enjoyed nearly nine years of marriage before Severo was diagnosed with Alzeiheimer's disease. He died just before their tenth wedding anniversary in 1995.
