Physical Qualities
Brass, aluminum, plastic, 27 × 27 × 22 in. (68.6 × 68.6 × 55.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Albert H. Cousins Memorial Fund
Object Number
2020.10
Immigrant women had a revolutionary impact on American industrial design in the first half of the 20th century. This tri-colored lamp was designed by internationally recognized, Swedish-born furniture maker Greta Grossman, who escaped Nazi persecution in 1940 and settled in Los Angeles, California. Grossman’s Scandinavian approach to interior design was practical and simplified. She was known for designing complete rooms furnished with simple, curving shapes and solid colors to promote a soothing and functional lifestyle.
House and Garden magazine described Grossman’s industrial designs as “modern-toorder.” There are probably twelve examples of this lamp, and this is the only known tricolored version. Using Grossman’s drawings, the two-man workshop Ralph O. Smith Company fabricated the metal arms and conical shades, and the work was retailed in Grossman’s storefront on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2020; R & Company LLC by purchase, 2014; Modern Times, Chicago, IL
Manufacturer
Ralph O. Smith Company
1946–1953
American, active c. 1947-1954
Meet Ralph O. Smith Company