A Closer Look at the Iconic Bubble Lamp
Industrial designer George Nelson was one of the founding fathers of American modernism.
Along with his studio George Nelson Associates, Inc., Nelson designed furniture, lighting, and accessories that comprise some of the most iconic modern designs, including pieces that he designed while serving as director of design at Herman Miller. Featured here, his series of Bubble Lamps successfully capture the possibilities of modern materials and production.
Nelson’s inspiration for his Bubble Lamps was a practical one—when seeking a lighting fixture for his office, he sought a silk-covered Swedish pendant, but found the cost to be too prohibitive. He recalled a newspaper photo of ships being given a mothball treatment in which the decks were covered in netting and then sprayed with a self-webbing plastic. Uniting the visual inspiration of the Swedish hanging lamp and the material technique of the ship decks, Nelson and his associates designed the first Bubble Lamp in 1947.
This vintage photograph showcases a Bubble Pendant Installation. The Ball, Saucer, and Cigar Pendants are available in a variety of sizes.
This vintage advertisement showcases the original collection of Bubble Lamps, including pendants, sconces, and floor lamps.
Produced in several different shapes, including the classic spherical ball shape and elongated cigar shape, each Bubble Lamp has an interior steel wire skeleton. In order to complete the lamp, the wire frame is spray coated with a translucent plastic polymer—the self-webbing plastic that inspired Nelson in the newspaper photograph he saw. The result is a lamp that is at once opaque and transparent, functions as a work of sculpture, and creates a consistent, glowing light when illuminated. The Bubble Lamps are available in pendant, floor, table, and wall lamp styles.
This vintage advertisement features George Nelson’s Ball Pendant Light. The beginning of the caption reads: "Airy, lighthearted ‘Bubbles’ and ‘Net Lights,’ designed by George Nelson, make lamps and lighting fixtures that delight the eyes and warm the heart. Their pleasing shapes are fashioned in sturdy, lightweight steel and a special translucent white plastic."
A classic Ball Bubble Lamp hangs in The Opdahl House, designed by Edward Killingsworth for Richard and Joyce Opdahl on the island of Naples, in Long Beach, California.
This Saucer Pendant showcases the Criss Cross technique used in many Bubble Lamps. Other Criss Cross Styles include Ball, Pear, and Cigar.
A floor version of Nelson’s Bubble Lamps, this Lotus Bubble Lamp is available in three sizes.
The Nelson Bubble Lamps are also available as table lamps, including the Lantern (shown), Ball Lotus, Cigar Lotus and Cigar Tripod.
Rounding out the range of Bubble Lamps is Nelson’s Ball Wall Sconce, which features a walnut wood wall mount.
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Nelson Triple Bubble Fixture Kit
This special fixture is designed to hold three Nelson Bubble Lamps® that are 19 inches in diameter or smaller. Use it to hang three different Bubble Lamp shapes for an eclectic look, or three identical shapes for an aesthetic that’s more streamlined. Distance between metal rod and walnut ball is 14.5 inches; depending on size of lamps you may need to vary heights for best fit. This product includes the Fixture Kit only; Bubble Lamps are sold separately. Made in U.S.A. Photo courtesy of Design Within Reach
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Saucer Crisscross Bubble Pendant
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed,” he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Cigar Bubble Pendant
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed,” he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Ball Bubble Pendant
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed,” he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopNelson Pear Bubble Pendant
Introduced in 1952, the George Nelson Bubble Lamps by Herman Miller were (and are) important lighting pieces that are definitively mid-century modern in design. The collection features organically shaped lamps that were made by spray-coating a translucent plastic over a steel wire frame—a material application unexpectedly inspired by the military. The George Nelson Pear Bubble Pendant is a cylindrical shape that balloons at the center, creating a soft light source that diffuses the light perfectly. The Bubble Lamps are so iconic that they are part of the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York.
ShopNelson Cigar Bubble Wall Sconce
Designed in 1952, the George Nelson Bubble Lamps by Herman Miller were important in defining mid-century modern design, and are so iconic that they are part of the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York. Made with a spray-coated plastic originally made for the military, the George Nelson Cigar Bubble Wall Sconce features a bead-shaped steel frame that is slightly visible through the shade. Photo Courtesy of Lumens
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Pear Tripod Lamp
Architect George Nelson, who was Herman Miller’s design director from 1945 to 1972, once said, “Every truly original idea seems to find its most important expression in a chair.” And then he blew the doors off lighting design. While outfitting his office, Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp® (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed.” This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 150W max. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Ball Wall Sconce
Architect George Nelson, who was Herman Miller’s design director from 1945 to 1972, once said, “Every truly original idea seems to find its most important expression in a chair.” And then he blew the doors off lighting design. While outfitting his office, Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp® (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed.” This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 150W max. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Ball Lotus Table Lamp
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed,” he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
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