Leslie Piña

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Herman Miller 1940 Catalog & Supplement

The Herman Miller Furniture Company was devoted to manufacturing period reproduction furniture until pioneer industrial designer Gilbert Rohde walked into their Grand Rapids showroom in 1930. A devout modernist, Rohde convinced D. J. De Pree to focus on modern furniture throughout the 1930s, and to produce exclusively modern furniture by the time Rohde died in 1944. This exact reprint of the 1940 product catalog and supplement from the Herman Miller Archives is an historic document showing hundreds of Art Deco and other classic modern furniture designs, all by Rohde. His use of exotic veneers, tubular steel, bentwood, and plastics was innovative and important in the evolution of modernism. His revolutionary modular seating and cabinets laid the foundation for mid-century design. More than 160 new items were added to the line in the short span of a year, and this catalog will complement rather than repeat the equally important 1939 catalog. With a current price guide, it will be an invaluable tool for the researcher, collector, dealer, and museum curator.