Biography
‚The Star Furniture Co’ had been founded in 1905 in Zeeland, Michigan. Its subsequent propietor, Dirk Jan De Pree had started there to work as a clerk and moved up the ladder until he became president in 1919. He was able to persuade his father in law, Herman Miller, to buy 51% of the stock. Thus, the factory changed its name in 1923 to Herman Miller Furniture Co. They converted into a limited company in 1960 and have been known since then as Herman Miller Inc.
The factory had started its production with historic pieces of furniture. After the Black Friday in 1929, when demand for furniture was low, De Pree took a bold step in hiring Gilbert Rohde as chief designer. He brought contemporary design into the production halls. The new line, displayed at the Century of Progress exhibition in Chicago in 1933 was a huge success and Miller was able to open up shops in Chicago and New York. In 1944, after Rohde had passed away, George Nelson took over as head designer. He would have a large influence on the firm’s designs for over 40 years. Next to his ‚Miniature chests’ and ‚end tables’, it’s his writing desks that cannot be surpassed regarding functionalism and appeal. In 1957 he created his ‚Comprehensive Storage System’ bookshelf, that depicts his conception of design. He showed his humourous side in the design of the ‚Marshmallow sofa’, with its upholstery of multi-coloured, round cushions. Nelson’s acquaintanceship to other young designers helped Herman Miller to become one of the most prominent furniture factories in the United States. First and foremost, Charles and Ray Eames have the closest ties to Herman Miller. As early as 1945/46, the couple had designed chairs and easy chairs of bent plywood that were distributed by Herman Miller. Their most famous design would certainly be the ‚670’ lounge chair, 1956, with its ergonomically shaped plywood seat and the comfortable leather cushions on an aluminium base. The ‚wire-mesh’ chairs, too, and the first seats of plastic, reinforced with fiberglass, and a range of different bases count among the classics. Isamu Noguchi, son of a Japanese poet and an American teacher did not work exclusively for Miller, but heightened its popularity with his IN-50’ sofa table, designed in 1947. As agents of the younger designers who had a strong influence particularly on Miller’s office furniture, let’s mention Robert Propst’s redevelopment of the ‚Action office’ furniture in the 1960s and Bruce Burdick and his functional, modular ‚Burdick group’ office system from 1980.
Having all these high-qualified designers working for them, it’s no wonder that Herman Miller knew a worldwide success in a relatively short space of time. In 1957, Willi Fehlbaum, proprietor of a Swiss furniture factory, came across some designs by George Nelson. Legend has it that he asked Miller on a whim if he could purchase the distributing licences for Nelson’s designs for Europe. Miller agreed and designs by George Nelson and the Eames have been produced at Fehlbaum’s factory Vitra since. In 1977, Willi’s sons Rolf and Raymond took over the factory. It has become itself a very influential furniture company and has been producing not only designs by Nelson and Eames but also by Verner Panton, Philippe Starck or Frank Gehry, among others.
Faridah Younès M.A.
