1950s George Nelson for Howard Miller Bubble Lamp
View Similar Items
1950s George Nelson for Howard Miller Bubble Lamp
About the Item
- Creator:Howard Miller (Manufacturer),George Nelson (Designer)
- Design:Saucer PendantNelson Bubble Lamp Series
- Dimensions:Height: 7 in (17.78 cm)Diameter: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. A small stain on the shell as pictured, does not impede light. Very minor rust appearing on steel frame. Excellent condition for being 70+ years old.
- Seller Location:Houston, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6538232073742
Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant
The Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant ceiling lamp’s design began with quite a relatable quandary. While redesigning his office at Herman Miller, George Nelson (1908–86), the American architect, writer and furniture maker who served as design director from 1945–72, found a lamp he loved. It was a Swedish design, covered in silk, and, at $125, it was very expensive. So what’s cheaper and more readily available than silk? Plastic.
After reading about a method for protecting the decks of docked ships from moths, which involved spraying a self-webbing plastic onto nets, Nelson had one of his “zaps” — the term he used to describe his moments of creative inspiration. The inventive architect decided to merge that moth-preventing technique with the style of the Swedish lamp he coveted. He designed a frame of steel wire, then sprayed it with plastic to create a smooth and translucent shell. The result differed little from his original inspiration. “When you put a light in it, it glowed, and it did not cost $125,” Nelson said of his 1952 Bubble lamp line and UFO-shaped Saucer Bubble Pendant.
For Nelson, whose talents spanned a number of areas, the saucer’s distinctive glow held special, holistic value. Not only did it result in an intriguing form for the lamp itself, but it also cast a flattering light on the space it occupied as well as on the furniture inside it.
Writing in Everyday Art Quarterly in 1952, Nelson credited his associate William C. Renwick for the design — originally produced for the Howard Miller Company, once a division of Herman Miller — as well as “its successful outcome.” Today, the Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant lamp is manufactured by Herman Miller.
George Nelson
Architect, designer, and writer George Nelson was a central figure in the mid-century American modernist design movement; and his thoughts influenced not only the furniture we live with, but also how we live.
Nelson came to design via journalism and literature. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale in 1931, he won the Prix de Rome fellowship, and spent his time in Europe writing magazine articles that helped bring stateside recognition to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gio Ponti, Le Corbusier and other canonical modernist architects. In the 1940s, Nelson wrote texts that suggested such now-commonplace ideas as open-plan houses, storage walls and family rooms. D.J. De Pree, the owner of the furniture maker Herman Miller, was so impressed by Nelson that in 1944 — following the sudden death of Gilbert Rohde, who had introduced the firm to modern design in the 1930s — he invited Nelson to join the company as its design director.
There Nelson’s curatorial design talents came to the fore. To Herman Miller he brought such eminent creators as Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and the textile and furniture designer Alexander Girard. Thanks to a clever contract, at the same time as he directed Herman Miller he formed a New York design company, George Nelson & Associates, that sold furniture designs to the Michigan firm, as well as its competitor, the Howard Miller Clock Company. Nelson’s New York team of designers (who were rarely individually credited) would create such iconic pieces as the Marshmallow sofa, the Coconut chair, the Ball clock, the Bubble lamp series and the many cabinets and beds that comprise the sleek Thin-Edge line.
For dedicated collectors, as well as for interior designers who look beyond “the look,” there is a “cool-factor” inherent to vintage pieces from George Nelson and others. Nelson was in on it from the start, and it’s valuable to have a piece that was there with him. But still, as is evident from the offerings from dealers on these pages, in any of the designs, in any iteration whose manufacture Nelson oversaw and encouraged, there are shining elements of lightness, elegance, sophistication — and a little bit of swagger. George Nelson felt confident in his ideas about design and didn’t mind letting the world know.
- 1950s 'San Miguelito' Arm Chairs by Michael Van Beuren for Domus - a pairBy Domus, Michael van BeurenLocated in Houston, TXHandsome pair of restored Mexican mahogany 'San Miguelito' lounge chairs designed by Michael Van Beuren for Domus, c.1950s. A Bauhaus-trained designer, Beuren studied under Ludwig Mi...Category
Vintage 1950s Mexican Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMahogany
- 1950s Pagoda Style Split Bamboo AquariumLocated in Houston, TXHand made int he Philippines in the 1950s, this pagoda-style split bamboo aquarium is the ultimate conversation piece. The possibilities for this one a...Category
Vintage 1950s Philippine Vitrines
MaterialsBamboo, Glass
- 1980s George Kovacs Lacquered Burl Wood Bankers LampBy George KovacsLocated in Houston, TXRare lacquered burl wood bankers lamp with brass arms and accents by George Kovacs, c.1980s. Incredibly handsome lamp--heavy, sturdy, and exquisitely crafted. Shade tilts and switch ...Category
Vintage 1980s American Art Deco Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- 1974 Charles Pollock Executive Chair for KnollBy Knoll, Charles PollockLocated in Houston, TXTwo incredible Charles Pollock for Knoll executive chairs in a rare cranberry-red mohair, labeled and dated 1974. These are midcentury modern classics, super comfortable and in stell...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates Two-Piece Curved SectionalBy Adrian Pearsall, Craft AssociatesLocated in Houston, TXElegant Mid-Century Modern two-piece curved sectional designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates, c. 1960's. This uncommon design is a true collectors piece, with very few exam...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsChenille
- 1970s Substantial Light Pink Murano Swirl Mushroom LampBy Vintage Murano GalleryLocated in Houston, TXSubstantial light pink Murano glass swirl mushroom lamp, hand-blown in Italy, c.1970s. This majestic piece measures 19" high - a true piece of art ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Original Large George Nelson Bubble Lamps for Howard Miller (B)By Howard Miller, George NelsonLocated in Oakland, CALarge original George Nelson Bubble Lamp for the Howard Miller Clock Company. Having a 26 inches in diameter "Bubble" form made of an wire frame covered with a spray on plastic skin ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Wire
- Large Original George Nelson Bubble Lamp for Howard Miller Clock Company (A)By Howard Miller, George NelsonLocated in Oakland, CALarge original George Nelson Bubble Lamp for the Howard Miller Clock Company. Having a 26 inches in diameter "Bubble" form made of an wire frame covered with a spray on plastic skin ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsWire, Metal
- Original Vintage George Nelson Cylinder Bubble Pendant Lamp Howard MillerBy Howard Miller, George NelsonLocated in Troy, MIA rare cylinder form bubble lamp pendant designed by William Renwick of George Nelson & Associates for Howard Miller circa 1950s Steel wire grid f...Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsWire
- Vintage George Nelson for Howard Miller Bell Pendant LampBy Howard Miller, George NelsonLocated in San Francisco, CAA very rare vintage bell-shaped hanging Bubble Lamp by George Nelson for the Howard Miller Clock Company. Designed in 1952, its shape and size are of a scarce combination that sets it apart from the myriad other more common original and reproduction iterations. Steel skeleton, with self-webbing soft plastic skin. Retains “Bubble Lighting...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsSteel
- George Nelson for Herman Miller Triple Bubble ChandelierBy George NelsonLocated in Dallas, TXA hard-to-find triple bubble chandelier by Geore Nelson. Includes the cigar bubble measuring approximately 32" H, a ball bubble and a smaller cigar. Original wood fixture with chande...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsWire
- George Nelson & Associates Kite Table Lamp Howard MillerBy Howard Miller, George NelsonLocated in Miami, FLGeorge Nelson & Associates Kite table lamp made by Howard Miller. The shade was recently replaced. Chrome was not cleaned and has wear. Please see pictures.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.
Kule and Forsyth Give Iconic Furniture a Bold Makeover with Stripes
Maggie and Anne Genovese, of Forsyth, teamed up with fashion designer Nikki Kule to reimagine some classic pieces.