Hodinkee
The Drunk History Behind a Mid-Century Modern Design Icon
Three geniuses, a few too many drinks, the real story behind George Nelson’s ball clock from 1949.
Source: Hodinkee
Originally published by Anders Modig on Hodinkee.
A Bay Stater, a New Yorker, and a Californian walked into a bar – or, actually, the New York office of industrial designer George Nelson, one of the fathers of mid-century modern design. And, as was often the case in postwar offices, the beverages on offer that 1947 evening were as good as what you'd find at any bar. Soon Nelson, architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller (a good friend), industrial designer Irving Harper, and artist Isamu Noguchi were taking turns at the drawing table scribbling out potential wall clocks.