George Nelson for Herman Miller Model 5153 Mobile Table
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1951-1958
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very very good original condition with only minor chips to enamel and faint discoloration.
- Seller Location:Hanover, MA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU886624820332
George Nelson
Architect, designer, and writer George Nelson was a central figure in the mid-century American modernist design movement; and his thoughts influenced not only the furniture we live with, but also how we live.
Nelson came to design via journalism and literature. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale in 1931, he won the Prix de Rome fellowship, and spent his time in Europe writing magazine articles that helped bring stateside recognition to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gio Ponti, Le Corbusier and other canonical modernist architects.
In the 1940s, Nelson wrote texts that suggested such now-commonplace ideas as open-plan houses, storage walls and family rooms. D.J. De Pree, the owner of the furniture maker Herman Miller, was so impressed by Nelson that in 1944 — following the sudden death of Gilbert Rohde, who had introduced the firm to modern design in the 1930s — he invited Nelson to join the company as its design director. There Nelson’s curatorial design talents came to the fore.
To Herman Miller he brought such eminent creators as Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and the textile and furniture designer Alexander Girard. Thanks to a clever contract, at the same time as he directed Herman Miller he formed a New York design company, George Nelson & Associates, that sold furniture designs to the Michigan firm. Nelson's studio also sold designs for clocks to the Howard Miller Clock Company, a manufacturer that was initially part of Herman Miller before it became an offshoot that was helmed by Howard Miller, D.J. De Pree's brother-in-law.
Nelson’s New York team of designers (who were rarely individually credited) would create such iconic pieces as the Marshmallow sofa, the Coconut chair, the Ball clock, the Bubble lamp series and the many cabinets and beds that comprise the sleek Thin-Edge line.
For dedicated collectors, as well as for interior designers who look beyond “the look,” there is a “cool factor” inherent to vintage pieces from George Nelson and others. Nelson was in on it from the start, and it’s valuable to have a piece that was there with him.
But still, as is evident from the offerings from dealers on 1stDibs, in any of the designs, in any iteration whose manufacture Nelson oversaw and encouraged, there are shining elements of lightness, elegance, sophistication — and a little bit of swagger. George Nelson felt confident in his ideas about design and didn’t mind letting the world know.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms.
Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. Such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
Find a range of vintage Herman Miller office chairs, desks, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Hanover, MA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- George Nelson Vanity Stool Model 4672 for Herman MillerBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MAGeorge Nelson vanity bench stool model N° 4672 for Herman Miller, designed 1946. Aluminum rods, foam, original fabric covering. Original Herman Miller label present. Produced by Herman Miller from 1946 to 1956. One owner. Cushion dimensions ~3 inches high by 19 inches wide by 15 inches deep.Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsAluminum
- 1950's George Nelson X-Leg Extension Dining Table Model 5062By George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MAEarly George Nelson model 5062 X-Leg extension dining table for Herman Miller, 1952. Table has two 12 inch extension leaves and pull-out metal extension tracks. Table is 29 inches...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsIron
- Gilbert Rohde Paldao Cabinet for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MAGilbert Rohde designed this chest for Herman Miller as part of his 1941 Paldao Line of streamline modernist and modular furniture in exotic veneer. This is model no. 4103, two-door cabinet with distinctively incised large round pulls, interior fitted with two adjustable shelves behind the left door and five pull-out drawers behind the right door, fronts finished in black enamel. The case top and sides are Paldao wood; the doors are in highly figured burl Acacia. The finish is called "Beaver" which is natural color, no stain, satin varnish. The back is numbered "4130." All of Rohde's designs for Herman Miller are marked with a 4-digit number; the first two numbers indicate the year, and the second two numbers indicate the individual piece. Newly refinished and ready to place in your home. The Herman Miller Furniture Company was devoted to manufacturing period reproduction furniture until Pioneer industrial designer Gilbert Rohde walked into their Grand Rapids showroom in 1930. A devout modernist, Rohde convinced D.J. De Pree to focus on modern furniture throughout the 1930s, and to produce exclusively modern furniture by the time Rohde died in 1944. Work by the pioneering American industrial and furniture designer, Gilbert Rohde, is notable for its thoroughly modern, informal, and multifunctional qualities. Rohde’s ability to create appealing modernist furnishings for middle-class homes, while also devising merchandising strategies to sell these goods, places him within a unique framework in American design history. Born and raised in New York, Rohde was the son of a cabinetmaker. He attended New York City public schools and his post-high school education included courses at the Art Students League and the Grand Central School of Art. Rohde’s visit to Europe in the spring and summer of 1927 (with later trips in 1931 and 1937) to see the Bauhaus in Dessau and the French modernist design that debuted in the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, profoundly inspired his concept of design and the role it should play in daily life. The French Art Deco and German rationalist styles he saw in Europe influenced the furniture he designed from the late 1920s into the 1940s, pieces he created to suit a rapidly changing American lifestyle. In addition to his work for Herman Miller Inc., Rohde also designed for several other furniture firms, including Thonet, Troy Sunshade, and Heywood-Wakefield. What set Rohde apart from his contemporaries was his all-encompassing understanding of the furniture industry, from design and production to marketing and showroom display.[1] During his time with Herman Miller Inc. (1932-1944), Rohde set the standard for collaborative efforts between designers and furniture firms, with George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames later...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMahogany
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Vanity for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MABeautifully refinished mahogany vanity/coiffeuse by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller with original off-white "leather cloth" (Fabrikoid) top and padded drawers. Kneehole: 26" high x 22" wide x 17.5" deep See our separate listings for other pieces from this same collection. See pages from original 1941 Herman Miller catalog.Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Vanities
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Tall Chest for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MABeautifully refinished mahogany tall boy chest of four drawers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller's 4140 collection with original off-white "leather cloth" (Fabrikoid) padded drawers. Top drawer is fitted with vide poche sliding and removable tray. See pages from original 1941 Herman Miller catalog...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Dresser for Herman Miller 3 AvailableBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MAWe have a total of three available of these beautifully refinished mahogany chests of three drawers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller's 4140 collection with original off-white "leather cloth" (Fabrikoid) padded drawers. Top drawer is fitted with vide poche sliding and removable tray and has original label. See pages from original 1941 Herman Miller catalog...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- George Nelson for Herman Miller Lamp and Planter TableBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Garnerville, NYModel 4634-L George Nelson for Herman Miller leather top lamp and planter table. Signed with foil label in drawer, George Nelson design, Herman Miller, ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- Side Table by George Nelson for Herman Miller, 1960sBy Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Lasne, BETable with wooden top and metal base designed by George Nelson and produced by Herman Miller in the 1960s. Wear due to time and age of the tableCategory
Vintage 1960s Central American Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Round Side Table by George Nelson for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Oklahoma City, OKThe George Nelson-designed round pedestal side table for Herman Miller features a timeless and sleek design. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, it boasts a circular table s...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- George Nelson Side Table for Herman Miller, Usa, 1960sBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Berlin, DEGeorge Nelson side table for Herman Miller, USA - 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWenge
- Vintage George nelson Steel frame Side table for Herman MillerBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAsimple and elegant black steel frame with white laminate side table on castors. designed by George Nelson for Herman MillerCategory
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsIron
- Walnut Side Table with Planters by George Nelson for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Dorchester, MAGeorge Nelson designed this uniquely functional side table, model 4745, for Herman Miller. Constructed of walnut with ebonized block legs, it houses two square copper planting boxes...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsCopper, Chrome
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.
Kule and Forsyth Give Iconic Furniture a Bold Makeover with Stripes
Maggie and Anne Genovese, of Forsyth, teamed up with fashion designer Nikki Kule to reimagine some classic pieces.