Vintage CSS Wall Mounted Shelving Unit by George Nelson for Herman Miller 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:George Nelson (Designer),Herman Miller (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 78.5 in (199.39 cm)Width: 80 in (203.2 cm)Depth: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960's
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In overall very good original condition Minor surface wear from use and a single small chip to back edge on one longer shelf.
- Seller Location:Troy, MI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8950235607582
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.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle-class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms. Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. As you can see on 1stDibs, such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Troy, MI
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- 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
- Early Vintage Charles Eames for Herman Miller LCW Birch Plywood Lounge ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Troy, MI2nd generation LCW lounge chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames Produced by Herman Miller circa 1952-53 Molded birch plywood example in original patina 22 inch width 24 inch dept...Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Rare Mosaic Tile Wall Clock in Walnut by George Nelson & Assoc circa 1950sBy Irving Harper, George NelsonLocated in Troy, MIRare 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 Wall Clocks
MaterialsWalnut, Glass
- Mid Century Modern Vintage Freestanding Wall Unit Desk in Walnut, circa 1960sLocated in Troy, MIVintage Mid Century Modern Freestanding Wall Unit Desk Great modernist secretary wall unit circa 1960s Freestanding with adjustable upper drop fr...Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
MaterialsWalnut
- Extremely Rare George Nelson Bubble Floor Lamp Original Birch Tripod Base 1950sBy Howard Miller, George NelsonLocated in Troy, MIExtremely rare floor lamp designed by George Nelson & Associates Offered through Howard Miller circa 1952 Tripod base in natural birch with brushed brass fittings and a round bubble...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Leather Elephant By Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch 1960sBy Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri OmersaLocated in Troy, MIA leather elephant stool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch Circa 1960s - 1970s Hand stitched leather with floppy ears leather tusks and tassel tail A unique example with rea...Category
Vintage 1960s English Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsLeather
- Rare Free Standing Modular George Nelson Wall Unit Bookcase, Herman Miller InterLocated in Gaggenau, DERare midcentury Free standing Modular George Nelson Wall Unit Bookcase, Herman Miller International collection "Vitra", 1960s brushed steel ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsWood
- Metal Wall Mounted Shelving Unit by NVF, the Netherlands 1960'sLocated in Steenwijk, NLThis stunning metal shelving unit was made by the Dutch manufacturer NVF in the 1960's. It is made out of 2 grey lacquered metal wall fixtures and 3 adjustable metal shelves in red, ...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Mikado Wall Mounted Shelving Unit by Carla BazBy Carla BazLocated in Geneve, CHMikado Wall Mounted Shelving Unit by Carla Baz Dimensions: D 40 X D 200 X H 200 cm. Materials: Solid Guatemala Verde marble and tempered sandb...Category
2010s Lebanese Post-Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsMarble
- Alexander Girard & George Nelson Inc. Wall Mounted Vanity, Model 1030By George Nelson, Alexander GirardLocated in Seattle, WAAn unusual and rare wall mounted vanity from the 1964 Herman Miller accessory line to the CSS storage system. A collaborative design by Alexander Girard...Category
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsAluminum
- Poul Cadovius 2-Piece Abstracta Shelving Unit, Denmark, 1960sBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Antwerpen, BE2-Piece Abstracta shelving unit designed by Poul Cadovius in Denmark around 1960. Frame with black lacquered metal pipes and shelves in teak veneer, figured glass and flat glass. Thi...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsMetal
- Modular Wall Unit by Simpla-Lux, 1960sBy Simpla Lux 1Located in Schagen, NLThis wall unit was designed and manufactured in the Netherlands, circa1960s. It consists of two separate units in teak, next to each other. The pieces were designed to be adjustable ...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsTeak
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.