Irving Harper Clocks
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Creator: Irving Harper
Rare Mosaic Tile Wall Clock in Walnut by George Nelson & Assoc circa 1950s
By Irving Harper, George Nelson
Located in Troy, MI
Rare George Nelson And Associates Mosaic Tile Wall Clock
Designed by Irving Harper for George Nelson and Associates and produced by Howard Miller
Model 2232
1957
Walnut frame with...
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Irving Harper Clocks
Materials
Walnut, Glass
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Interestingly, while nearly all of the designs that came out of George’s studio were attributed to him, many were actually designed by him and his team. Some were even designed solely by someone else working at the studio.
Nelson famously recounted the story of how the Ball Clock came to life in an interview decades after it’s release:
“It was one of the really funny evenings. Noguchi came by, Bucky Fuller came by, and here was Irving, and here was I, and Noguchi - who can’t keep his hands off anything - he saw we were working on clocks and started making doodles. Then Bucky sort of brushed Isamu aside. He said, ‘This is a good way to do a clock’ and made some utterly absurd thing. Everybody was taking a crack at this, pushing each other aside and making scribbles. At some point we left – we were suddenly all tired, and we’d had a little bit too much to drink – and the next morning I came back, and here was this roll of paper, and Irving and I looked at it, and somewhere in this roll, there was a ball clock. I don’t know to this day who cooked it up.”
Nevertheless, whoever it was that came up with George Nelson’s designs, it’s almost certain that they would never have come to fruition if it wasn’t for George’s vision and forward-thinking approach.
Can you tell me more about his clocks?
George’s clocks were one of his most impressive bodies of work. In total, he and his team designed over 130 clocks in just three decades.
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Irving Harper clocks for sale on 1stDibs.
Irving Harper clocks are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider clocks by George Nelson, Junghans Uhren GmbH, and Kienzle Clocks. Prices for Irving Harper clocks can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,600 and can go as high as $1,600, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,600.