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John Vassos (born John Vassacopoulos) was born in 1898 in Romania to Greek parents. He immigrated to the United States in 1919. In 1924 he opened a studio designing murals, advertisements, and window displays. In 1933 he designed a turnstile, still in use in subways and sports stadiums.
He illustrated fourteen books including four he coauthored with his wife. He designed radio cabinets for RCA Victor and early RCA television sets.
He also designed Nedick’s Refreshment Bar in New York using Bakelite. For the 1939 World’s Fair he created a television cabinet in transparent Lucite plastic, its purpose to show the new technology was really transmitted through the air and not projected from behind the screen.
Vassos passed away in 1985 at the age of 87.