George Nelson was born in Connecticut in 1904 and went on to study architecture at Yale University, where he graduated in 1928.
Nelson was one of the founders of the modernist architecture movement of the forties along with,
Eliot Noyes,
Charles Eames and
Walter B. Ford - all of which he would later collaborate with. He became a highly regarded critic, author and commentator on design issues as well as his own exceptional creative talent. His Storagewall shelf system revolutionised the office environment and excited manufacturers
Herman Miller who appointed
Nelson as the company's design director from 1945-1965.
Nelson also created other iconic designs including the
Marshmallow Sofa and the
Coconut Chair as well as a series of clocks. He died in 1986 but his memory still lives on as
Vitra still manufacture his most iconic pieces under licence.
