George Nelson

George Nelson (1908-1986) is considered a key figure in the development and promotion of the "design culture" in the United States. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, in his youth he had the opportunity to travel extensively around Europe and to approach the principles of modernist architecture, of which he became one of the most passionate advocates in the United States through his articles for Architectural Forum magazine. And it was precisely after reading one of those articles that D.J. De Pree, president of Hermann Miller, decided to revolutionize his company and move from creating traditional wooden furniture to design furniture. Nelson was called in 1947 to fill the role of artistic director of the company and remained there until 1972, adding to his creations those of young emerging designers called by him to create their first works. He introduced to the world of industry what would later become the elite of American design, from Charles & Ray Eames to Isamu Noguchi, from Harry Bertoia to Alexander Girard. His intelligent and creative furnishings can in some ways be considered forerunners of the “pop style” and have also been produced by Vitra since 1958.