Alexander Jusserand Kostellow (Persian: الکساندر کوستلو; c. 1897 – September 1, 1954) was an Iranian-born American industrial designer and educator.
[1][3][4] When World War II broke out, Kostellow refused to join the German Nazi army, and fled the country through Holland.
[5] He painted United States post office murals through the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA), including The Battle of Bushy Run (1938) with T. Frank Olson (1890–1935) and Robert Lepper, and Glass Industry (1938), both are oil on canvas in Jeannette, Pennsylvania;[11][12] and the Somerset-Farm Scene (1941), oil on canvas in Somerset, Pennsylvania.
[13] Although Kostellow had been hired as a painting instructor at Carnegie, he had been heavily influenced by his time in construction and engineering, as well as Peter Behrens, who he had studied under in Europe.
[3][16] Kostellow also played an instrumental role in developing the Foundation Year curriculum at Pratt, which introduced first-year students to basic elements and principles of visual design.
[1][19] In 1952, Kostellow established the Experimental Design Laboratory at Pratt,[1][4] creating opportunities for students to work with major companies and corporations on various projects, including Monsanto Chemicals, Reynolds Metals, Sears and Roebuck, and Shell Oil.
[15] In the summer of 1954, Kostellow and Reed traveled to Detroit to work on a kitchen design project with General Motors, to be exhibited at the annual Motorama.