nelson cigar wall sconce
Design George Nelson,
1952
Steel skeleton, self-webbing soft plastic, solid walnut, nickel
A classic George Nelson design, Nelson Bubble Lamps bring warmth to any interior with their various spherical shapes and soft, even light. The elongated sphere shape of the Nelson Cigar Wall Sconce is designed to be attached to a wall with the help of a walnut wall-mount and a steel arm that has a swivel hinge and a 12-foot plug-in cord. This design allows the light to be easily readjusted sideways, or to be shifted higher or lower. Nelson designed the Bubble Lamps in 1952 when he came across a set of Swedish hanging lamps and wanted one for his office. Their steep price tag, for that time, prompted Nelson to design his own.
260W*260D*350H
George Nelson (1908–1986) was an American industrial designer, and one of the founders of American Modernism. While Director of Design for the Herman Miller furniture company, both Nelson, and his design studio, George Nelson Associates, Inc., designed much of the 20th century's most iconic modernist furniture. George Nelson attended Yale University, not originally intending become an architect. He happened upon the architecture school while ducking into the building to get out of the rain, and was impressed by an exhibition inside. He graduated with a degree in architecture in 1928. During his final year at Yale, Nelson was hired by the architecture firm Adams and Prentice as a drafter.
Herman Miller was a West Michigan businessman who helped his son-in-law, D.J. De Pree, buy the Michigan Star Furniture Company in 1923. De Pree had been working at the company, which opened in 1905, since he was hired in 1909 as a clerk. De Pree knew his father-in-law was a man of integrity, so he decided to rename the company after him. By the middle of the 20th century, the name Herman Miller had become synonymous with “modern” furniture. Working with legendary designers George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames, the company produced pieces that would become classics of industrial design.