nelson ball bubble pendant
Design George Nelson,
1947
Steel skeleton, self-webbing soft plastic, nickel-plated ceiling plate
In charming spherical silhouettes, the Nelson Bubble Lamps add a touch of softness and luminosity to interiors. The Ball Bubble Pendant is available in three sizes and its perfectly rounded form is attached to a ceiling plate with a 6 foot long cord. The Bubble Lamps were first designed in 1952, when Nelson was impressed by a set of Swedish hanging lamps. Their prohibitive price prompted Nelson to design his own in a way that made them more affordable. The result was a series of lamps with elemental, spherical shapes like a rounded apple, an elongated cigar, and a shapely pear, among others.
680W*680D*600H
480W*480D*400H
320W*3205D*300H
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.