Wait a while
Vitra has an exhibition of George Nelsons work that they are currently working on that will include a wide range of Nelsons product designs including his work for Howard Miller. It will include a 300 page "richly illustrated" catalogue.
The exhibition and catalogue will include the full scope of Nelsons work including architecture, essays/writings, exhibitions, products, slideshows/films, logos etc...
The Vitra George Nelson Retrospective will open Sept. 12 in a 7,000sqft space in the Design Museum and will run untill Feb. 09. It will then travel for several years internationally and should come to the states during that time.
Although not exactly what your book plans are it should be a nice reference nonetheless.
http://www.design-museum.de/museum/ausstellungen/vorschau/index.php
I just clipped this ...
I just clipped this from, the Vitra site.
Nelson created classics of modern furniture and interior design like the Coconut Chair (1956), the Marshmallow Sofa (1956), the Ball Clock (1947),
folks you have to feel sorry for George Mulhauser
and Irvin Harper, these two guys deserve a shout out
for g-ds sake,
I just dont understand why they can't put their name for the office of George Nelson,
just makes good sense,
I emailed Vitra
and let 'em know what we're planning 9book wise), as well as how important it is now to set the record straight and give credit to every known associate of George Nelson.
Hopefully, from now on on the Marshmellow Sofa it'll say:
Designed by Irving Harper
for
George Nelson & Associates
Exhibition
I emailed the guy who is setting it up and mentioned the book idea and what it should be spotlighting (clocks, other Howard Miller pieces, melmac dinnerware, lamps, etc.) and here's his reply:
-----------------------------------
Hello,
Yes, I have visited Irving Harper in Rye and we plan to acknowledge his contribution and those of other staff members to the designs created in the office. In our catalogue we will have an essay in that discusses the industrial design of George Nelson Associates for companies other than Herman Miller and the many designs for Howard Miller will of course be central in this context.
For the exhibition we are actually still searching quite a few of these items. I managed to buy some of the Prolon dinnerware on ebay but am still looking for the objects you mentioned plus the Howard Miller Birdhouses, Lanterns, Net Lights and Metalites, the Walker China, Bridell Flatware and Rek-O-Kut turntables. If you happen to know where any of these could be purchased or borrowed for the exhibition I would be grateful for any hints.
With best regards
Jochen Eisenbrand
---------------------
cool, huh? I didn't know what Nelson's boys designed a Rec-O-Kut turntable!
Reply
Question: could you email that contact and see if he has photos of the rek o kut?
Answer: the guy putting together the Nelson exhibition needs an example of the Rec-O-Kut turntable. I don't have one....only my Technics SP-15 3-speed turntable (actually it's the turntable in all of the Executive offices at CBS' Black Rock building in NYC)!
Regarding who designed what
I think that YCL summed this all up very nicely 3 years ago...
12-Apr-05
Complicated Issue
I must admit that I find all of this revisionism about who designed what quite unsettling. Attribution is a very complicated business, especially in an office like Nelson's. From what I have read, although Nelson delegated a lot of the basic design work on particular projects to particular employees, Nelson retained control over the final design, and selected and edited his employees' work as well. Given his final editorial control and the ultimate "approval or disapproval" role played by Nelson for every product of that office, it does not seem fair to attribute the final design to the employee only.
Under such circumstances, it just seems inaccurate to say that "Ernest Farmer designed the slatted bench" or "Irving Harper designed the ball clock." In my view, the most one can say is that X Object was designed by "George Nelson & Associates," the name of the Nelson design office.
A related issue, even if one disagrees about this, is an evidentiary one: Just how are we folks now, 40-50-60 years later, supposed to determine who designed what? Where's the real evidence that Harper designed the ball clock, apart from Harper's self-serving statements, given that Nelson himself has given a contradictory statement (he claims that the basic design came after a late-night, alcohol-fueled brainstorming session that involved noguchi, buckminster fuller, harper, and nelson himself). I hate to think that the designer who lives the longest -- and thus gets to make self-aggrandizing statements that those unfortunate enough to have died earlier are unable to refute -- gets the credit in our history books.
My 2 cents: Since we will never know, for sure, what the contribution of each individual designer within the Office of George Nelson & Associates is to any particular design, and given that Nelson himself retained ultimate control over a design before its production, all products of that office should simply be attributed to "the Office of George Nelson & Associates".
posted by ycl
[edit]
Norm,......
These items are not listed as being designed by George Nelson & his Associates....they're listed as being by George Nelson, an individial person.
Had Nelson created a name for his practice that didn't make people think like he designed every item, then there would be little reason for this "revisionist" view these many years later.
From the get-go, the Marshmellow Sofa should've been listed as
Designed by Irving Harper
George Nelson Associates
In this respect, I fear Nelson is no better than Phil Spector who took credit for everything and didn't give little, if any credit to his artists, arrangers or writers.
Nelson was a giant, but now after nearly everybody is dead, it's high time to provide the actual designer full and permanent credit.
Once again Barry by ...
Once again Barry by building the data base to all things Nelson we will really find out what he the man designed,
i can understand George Nelson (himself) and George Nelson & associates
but I think it is criminal that these great designers of their day did not get a shred of credit and it has taken 50 years to get a pat on the back and recognized their talents,
to all I say this is only the beginning,
This is not to malign the Great George Nelson, it is to give honor to all who worked for him as his associates and at Herman Miller. something long over due,
Saw that too Barry. ...
Saw that too Barry. Uncertain about it, strange isn't it! That is, attractive, but unusual. Maybe someone did a "hack" job (redesigned) a standard ball clock. Examining it closer...shows that its well crafted, so my vote is legit. Could inquire for a model number.
I've resigned from making a purchase attempt..I've come to terms with that. Not because of questionable orgin, but every Nelson groupie has likely seen it by now.
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