George Nelson, Modern Designer
69George Nelson was one of the premier designers and architects of the mid-century
modern period in the US. From clocks to chairs, desks and sofas, his
design portfolio is full of elegant and timeless designs that look as
refreshingly modern today as they did in the 1950s and 60s.
More
than a designer himself, he was at the helm of the Herman Miller
company and recruited many of the designers that are best known today,
including Charles Eames and Isamu Noguchi.
Before joining the Herman Miller company as Director of Design, Nelson had actually not done much design work for furnishings. Until that point in his career, he had worked mainly as an architect, an educator and a writer, co-authoring the book "Tomorrow's House" with fellow designer, Henry Wright.
Learn more about George Nelson
- George Nelson (designer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wiki's biography of George Nelson, including a list of some of his design work for the Herman Miller company. - George Nelson Design Archive
The George Nelson Archive has lots of information about the designer and includes photos of a lot of his pieces, especially his clocks and lamps.
 | A great introduction to George Nelson's work. Features an essay from a design critic and then opens into a great visual gallery of his work -- in both photos and drawings. Amazon Price: $84.64 List Price: $12.95 |
 | Written by Stanley Abercrombie, this book is considered the definitive work on George Nelson's design legacy. The full range of Nelson's work is represented, from product and furniture design to packaging and graphics to large-scale projects such as the Fairchild house and the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow. Amazon Price: $30.00 List Price: $50.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $44.44 List Price: $55.00 |
 | This is an exhibition catalogue from the Vitra Design Museum Archive. Full color and extensively illustrated it features tons of previously unpublished illustrations by George Nelson and it is a comprehensive retrospective of his design work. Amazon Price: $68.27 List Price: $168.00 |
 | This book is out of print, but if you are interested in the designers who worked with Herman Miller, it's a must have. Many of the designs in this collection are by Charles Eames or George Nelson. Amazon Price: $314.78 List Price: $39.50 |
 | Amazon Price: $365.00 List Price: $406.80 |
George Nelson's Ball Clock & Marshmallow Sofa
Right here are two of George Nelson's most famous pieces. The Ball Clock is probably the most famous of George Nelson's clock designs, and of course the Marshmallow sofa is an icon of mid century modern design. The other item here, the Filterjet fan, was designed by Peter Schlumbohm.
The Ball Clock was designed around 1948 for the Herman Miller company. At the time, it only had a number in the Herman Miller catalog, but it has come to be referred to as the Ball Clock. It was manufactured well into the 70s by Herman Miller before it was retired. The clock is now manufactured by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany and you can buy brand new re-editions made by Vitra and based on George Nelson's original drawings today.
The Marshmallow Sofa was the inspiration of George Nelson and Irving Harper (who worked for Nelson). They arranged 18 "marshmallows" on a steel frame and voila! Herman Miller begain manufacturing it in 1956.
Photo credit: Yourfavoritemartian
