"The Herman Miller Collection 1952 - Ralph Caplan & George Nelson" Catalogue
View Similar Items
"The Herman Miller Collection 1952 - Ralph Caplan & George Nelson" Catalogue
About the Item
- Creator:George Nelson (Author),Ralph Caplan (Author)
- Dimensions:Height: 8.86 in (22.5 cm)Width: 11.42 in (29 cm)Length: 8.86 in (22.5 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1995
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU210235171343
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.
- Contemporary Shops in the United States - E. Nicholson & George Nelson - 1946Located in London, GBPublished by the Architectural Book Publishing Company, second printing, revised and enlarged edition, 1946. With text by Emrich Nicholson and a fore...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Books
MaterialsPaper
- Ruscha, Catalogue Raisonné of The paintings, Volume Two 1971-1982 - 2005Located in London, GBPublished by Gagosian Gallery, 2005 Hardback in printed slipcase. Volume 2 contains entries on 178 paintings completed between 1971 and 1982 - from the artist's crisis at the onset...Category
Early 2000s Books
MaterialsPaper
- The Secular Furniture of E.W. Godwin - Catalogue Raisonné - 1st Edition 1999By Edward William GodwinLocated in London, GBFirst Edition, published for The Bard Graduate Center by Yale University Press, 1999. Text by Susan Weber Soros. "The Secular Furniture of E. W. Godwin" is a fascinating exploration...Category
1990s American Aesthetic Movement Books
MaterialsPaper
- Ralph Lauren Lauren, Ralph 1st US editionLocated in London, GB1ST Us Edition published by Rizzoli 2007. A beautiful book that delves deep into the life of Ralph Lauren with remarkable insides from his beginnings sa a boy from the Bronx to his ...Category
Early 2000s Books
MaterialsPaper
- Roger de la Fresnaye: Catalogue Raisonne Seligman, GermainLocated in London, GB284pp. text. With 32 colour plates and 731 black and white illustrations. This English language edition consists of nine hundred copies, this is copy number B 169. Some foxing, some ...Category
20th Century Books
MaterialsPaper
- Picasso, Peintre-Graveur: Catalogue Raisonné, Tome 1 - Bernhard Geiser, 1990Located in London, GBPicasso, Peintre-Graveur: Tome 1, Catalogue Raisonné de L'Oeuvre Gravé et Lithographié et Des Monotypes, 1899-1931. By Bernhard Geiser, corrections, redesign and supplement by Brigit...Category
1990s Swiss Modern Books
MaterialsPaper
- Walnut Headboard by George Nelson for Herman Miller, 1952Located in Kensington, MDWalnut Headboard by George Nelson for Herman Miller, 1952 Additional information: Material: Walnut Featured at Kensington: Gorgeous, classic headboard by George Nelson for Her...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWalnut
- George Nelson & Associates Cabinets, Herman Miller, Model 4617By Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in New York, NYGeorge Nelson & Associates Cabinets, Herman Miller model 4617. Handsome bedside cabinets/nightstands, purchased by Solo Modern, from the estate of famed Mad Magazine cartoonist, Mort Drucker...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsAluminum, Zinc
- George Nelson for Herman Miller Rosewood Nightstands, 1960By Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Chicago, ILGeorge Nelson for Herman Miller Rosewood Nightstands, 1960. Absolutely beautiful and completely restored. Measure 18" wide, 18.5" deep, 22.5" tallCategory
Vintage 1960s American Night Stands
MaterialsRosewood
- George Nelson For Herman Miller Walnut Nighstand End TableBy Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-century modern, model #4617, walnut nightstand or end table by George Nelson For Herman Miller features closed storage with signature, steel J pulls. Iconic, American, mid-centur...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsAluminum
- Mid-Century Modern George Nelson for Herman Miller Primavera HeadboardBy Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Forney, TXA rare American Mid-Century Modern headboard for a double (full) size bed with storage and adjustable backrests by important Modernist architect and designer George Nelson (American, 1908-1986) for Herman Miller, circa 1950, model 4647 from the Primavera Collection, walnut, tufted vinyl, ebonized feet. Dimensions: (approx) 40" High, 56.25" Wide, 12" Deep A superb example, in excellent original vintage condition, having a pair tufted vinyl doors that slide down to reveal individual storage compartments. Walnut veneer in excellent condition with one small (.75") stable bubble beneath the surface at top (no splitting or discoloration present). Bed retains both brackets and anchor pins...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsUpholstery, PVC, Wood, Walnut
- George Nelson Nightstands with Pull Out Tables for Herman MillerBy George NelsonLocated in Cincinnati, OHA pair of dark ebony toned Mid Century nightstands with pull out bedside table and upper and lower bookcase styled storage . A early designed by George ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWood
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.