Fons Iannelli (American 1919-1988)
Untitled: WW2 South Pacific Pilot and crew. A real action shot.
Location: South Pacific
Dimensions: 15" X 12"
Stamped reverse.

Fons Iannelli, a photojournalist who documented naval combat during World War was born in Chicago in 1917, took up photography at age 21 and by 1940 had established his own studio. In 1941, he was recruited by Edward Steichen to become part of a team set up by the Navy to photograph its operations in the Pacific theater. Mr. Iannelli's photographs of the war were published in ''U.S. Navy War Photographs,'' a collection edited by Mr. Steichen, and included in group shows at the Museum of Modern Art.

After the war, Mr. Iannelli worked as a freelance photojournalist for McCalls, Life, Fortune, Collier's and The Saturday Evening Post. By the late 1940's, he was said to be the most highly paid magazine photographer in New York. He was esteemed for his ability to overcome difficult lighting situations and for making high-quality black-and-white prints. Own Cinema Verite Style

In the 1950's, Mr. Iannelli took up film making. He produced and directed short segments for the television program ''Omnibus,'' as well as educational subjects. Using a One (1)-man film and sound recording system of his own devising, he achieved a cinema verite style that has since been widely adopted. He also designed and built mechanical improvements for tape recorders and still and motion picture cameras.

Mr. Iannelli was a founder of Scope Associates, a cooperative agency of photojournalists, and a member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers.

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