Florence-born Hollywood poster designer Campeggi dies

FLORENCE, ITALY – Hollywood poster designer and painter Silvano Campeggi, one of the most important graphic artists in the history of American cinema, has died at the age of 95.

He was born in Florence, Italy, on January 23, 1923 and designed the posters for Gone With The Wind, Casablanca, Singing In The Rain, Am American In Paris, West Side Story, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Breakfast At Tiffany’s among others.

Nicknamed “Nano”, Campeggi’s iconic images are associated with the golden era of Hollywood. Campeggi designed and produced the poster and advertising graphics for over 3000 films, working for the MGM studios, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Universal, Columbia Pictures, United Artists, RKO, Twentieth-Century Fox and several others.

Sixty-four of the films he illustrated won Oscars, including Casablanca, Ben-Hur, Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, West Side Story, Exodus, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Gigi.