Harry Bertoia "Golden Dandelion" sculpture records

Harry Bertoia (1915-1978) was an American artist and designer during the twentieth century. Born in San Lorenzo, Italy to Giuseppe and Maria (née Mussio) Bertoia, he immigrated to the United States in 1930. Bertoia studied at the Detroit School of Arts and Crafts before attending the renowned Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield, Michigan from 1937-1942. In 1938, he began teaching at Cranbrook and held this position until 1943. Some of his colleagues at Cranbrook included Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen. Bertoia married Brigitta Valentiner, a Rembrandt expert, on May 10, 1943. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1947.

Although he also painted, Bertoia is best known for his metal work. In 1950, he was offered a position at Knoll International in New York. While working for Knoll, he designed his famous Diamond (or Bertoia) chair. Bertoia was also commissioned to create sculptures for various buildings. Some of the locations of his creations are listed below.

In 1964, the Eastman Kodak Company commissioned Bertoia to design a sculpture for its World's Fair pavilion. Bertoia created a series of seven sculptures, referred to as the "Golden Dandelions". The artist hoped the pieces would be "quietly delightful to people." The steel sculptures included bronze "stems" that ranged from six to fourteen feet long, feeding into golden spheres that were up to six feet in diameter. Additionally, the pieces were designed to move up to 30 degrees in the wind. On April 18, 1975, the Eastman Kodak Company presented the sculptures to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in a ceremony held in the Bevier Gallery. Bertoia attended the ceremony and gave a presentation to students on the previous day. After being on exhibit in the Bevier Gallery, the sculptures were moved to the NTID courtyard for permanent display. Currently, these pieces are installed in RIT's Bausch and Lomb building.

Throughout his lifetime, Bertoia showed his work at various exhibits including the London Triennial in 1963 and sculpture shows in Paris (1964), Amsterdam (1967), and Zurich (1968). He received the craftsmanship medal from the American Institute of Architects and was awarded the Gold Medal by the same organization in 1956. Bertoia died on November 6, 1978.