Irving Harper (2013)

George Nelson Clock reproduction by Verichron, 2013

Every so often it is good to have the rug pulled out from under you. The experience sharpens your senses, wakes you up, and makes you question the firm ground that all too often is taken for granted.

Online ad, Modernica, 2013

My Mid-20th Century Design Road to Damascus was a flight to Spain with a long layover in JFK. It was 1998, Trans World Airlines was still operating, and the fates conspired to leave me with a few hours on my hands in Terminal 5. Almost needless to say, I was floored by the building. My appreciation of modernism as a design aesthetic became a primary interest and the name Eero Saarinen was elevated to hero status in my estimation. Move forward 5 years and I am now sharing the flat where I currently live in San Francisco with the now Missus. We purchase a pair of pendant lamps for our living room spaces from a local favorite, Inside. Our choice? Modernica's reproduction of the Howard Miller cigar bubble lamps designed by George Nelson. So here was my first legitimate design purchase. An iconic item by a name designer. So all things being equal, Nelson's stature is elevated in my little black Moleskine.

Print ads, Howard Miller Clock Company, 1956

And it grows. And it grows. My wife buys me a Vitra-produced Nelson reproduction clock as a gift. I find an oversize jack for my bookshelf. Our flatware is replaced with a set of vintage Hall Leisure designed by the Nelson and Associates. George Nelson becomes a touchstone in my mind's eye as I become more and more engrossed in this aspect of living.

Debut of the Herman Miller logo, 1947, logo by Irving Harper for George Nelson Design

Perhaps the only thing worse than being late to the party is being late to the party as well as being oblivious. The latter is how I felt when I first read about Irving Harper a few weeks ago. Who is Irving Harper? Only the most significant Mid-Century Modernist that you have (perhaps likely) never heard of! As it turns out Harper was THE man at George Nelson and Associates responsible for everything from the iconic Herman Miller logo to the now legendary Howard Miller "Nelson" clocks which hang on the wall of nearly every discerning modernist worth their salt. And, yes, even those lamps hanging in my living room are now attributed to Harper. Sure, I knew that George often took credit for the work of this firm. Of course he did, that is the way it had been done for decades if not centuries with the name on the masthead usually taking credit for the entire output. What is astonishing is just how many of these iconic works sprung from Irving Harper's obviously fertile, creative mind. The wonderful coda to this story is that Harper is still alive and finally getting the attention and notoriety he so clearly deserves.

For further reading, I highly recommend this article as well as this one. 

The Misfits (1961)

Original print poster

Upon seeing the opening title sequence of John Huston's 1961 film The Misfits for the first time, I remarked on how I thought this might very well be the work of Saul Bass. A couple minutes into the segment and I learned that task was credited to George Nelson and Co. Inc. George Nelson? THE George Nelson? 

Yes. The George Nelson. 

Nelson's contributions to the world of modern design are undeniable and fairly incalculable. Several of his designs are iconic He is an almost equally controversial figure, stemming mostly from his "collaborations", some of which he took sole credit - or were solely credited to the firm the bore his name.

George Nelson (far left), Playboy magazine, July 1961 [bonus points if you can name the others]

With a little research, it turns out that the associate at George Nelson and Co., Inc. (as George Nelson and Associates were known in 1961) that was truly responsible for the title sequence in question was Don Ervin. 

Don Ervin?

You may not know the name, but you know his work. For example he designed the Transamerica logo that adorned so many United Artists films of the 1970s. 

Transamerica log by Don Ervin

Ervin was also responsible for some fairly iconic Herman Miller advertising campaigns. 

Herman Miller print ad by Don Ervin for George Nelson and Co., Inc., c.1960

Ervin was the Director of Graphic Design at Nelson's firm from 1954 to 1962: salad days at the dawn of the advertising era...exactly the sort of thing "Mad Men" has spent so much time celebrating these past few years. It is safe to say, that Ervin's influence stretches far beyond what can be directly attributed to him, especially considering the volume of work that Nelson and Company churned out during that decade. However, "The Misfits" campaign was something of an anomaly. It is Nelson's sole cinema credit. Certainly, several industry and client films were credited to the firm, but this was the first and last documented foray by the design firm into Hollywood.

The Misfits, 1961 Theatrical Trailer

For the Clark Gable/Marilyn Monroe/Montgomery Clift vehicle, Ervin was tasked with a fairly comprehensive campaign. Not only did he create the aforementioned opening title sequence, but he also created the theatrical trailer and the print advertising campaign. All of these components featured the "misfit" jigsaw puzzle pieces in some variation. The symbolism was a little blunt, but very clean and modern - especially when set against the sharp san-serif typefaces used to carry the titles. Married beautifully (yes, I am being ironic in consideration of the movie's themes) to a striking score by Alex North (A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata!, Spartacus), the results are nearly as impressive as anything the great Saul Bass collaborated on during the same time period.

The Misfits main title still, 1961

Although it was released to critical acclaim, the film itself was something of a commercial failure. Within 5 years, all 3 of the principle leads were dead. Subsequently, it has often been the subject of high praise. Ervin left Nelson's firm the following year and joined a string of advertising and corporate branding firms until he retired in 1987. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 85. George Nelson's firm continued through the 1980s until he shut down his New York base of operations and passed away in 1986.