Collection: Alfonso T. Toran

For decades, the iconic tropical bird prints bearing the Turner signature were among the most beloved decorative art of the 1940s - yet the true artist behind them remained a mystery. It wasn't until the late 1970s that the story was finally uncovered through painstaking research and correspondence with the artist's widow, Germaine Toran.

Alfonso T. Toran, born in Naples, Italy on May 17, 1896, was a talented painter celebrated for his mural work in New York's most prestigious hotels - the Delmonico, Pierre, New Yorker, and Waldorf Astoria - as well as the Chrysler Building and Massanutten Military Academy. A member of the Hollywood Arts and Crafts Guild and Director of Creative Studios of Art and Decoration of New York, Toran created original artwork for Turner Manufacturing Company during the Depression and post-war years.

His tropical bird series - featuring flamingos, egrets, cockatoos, and swans - became the biggest seller in the history of decorative wall accessories, though his name remained largely unknown. Like many artists of the era who worked for publishing companies, Toran's originals (8" x 10" oils on plywood) were published under the Turner name in longhand script to simulate an artist's signature.

Tragically, Toran died in an automobile accident in 1965, and most of his original Turner artwork was destroyed in the mid-1970s to make room for modern inventory - just as 1940s art was being recognized as highly collectible. Today, we're honored to preserve and share Toran's legacy through premium giclee reproductions and home decor featuring his timeless tropical bird designs.