Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, 1941
This kidney-shaped sofa was created by Greta Magnusson Grossman in Sweden and redesigned between 1941 and 1942 for Barker Brothers in Los Angeles. She still favored the curved lines of her Swedish production, but this sofa also reveals a possible influence of Hollywood Regency furniture, which comes as no surprise since Grossman very quickly became a part of the Golden Era scene. With a showroom on North Rodeo Drive inaugurated in 1941, she attracted celebrity clients such as Greta Garbo, Joan Fontaine, and Gracie Allen. The present model was acquired from a family estate in San Angelo, Texas.
Curved sofa in ivory bouclé upholstery with button tufted backrest. Designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman for Barker Brothers, Los Angeles, 1941-42. Upholstered with "Pebble Wool" fabric in Eggshell, designed by Maharam.
88" L x 40" W x 26" H
223.5 cm L x 101.6 cm W x 66 cm H
CO666
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Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, 1952
Desk in walnut and wrought iron with pencil box and black laminate surfaces.
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Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, circa 1952
This desk, designed for Glenn of California in 1952, is the epitome of Grossman’s pairing wrought iron details with beautifully figured walnut into a balanced composition. This specific piece is unique in that it does not have the black laminate top normally present in the model, meaning it was a special order and not a production piece. This desk ultimately symbolizes Grossman’s full dive into California modernism while at the same time keeping her particular asymmetric approach. The petite scale suggests this desk was meant for a home, as Grossman was committed to modernizing the home office and worked from home herself.
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Desk in walnut and wrought iron with pencil box. Designed for Glenn of California. -
Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, 1952
Set of six (6) "Good Design" dining chairs in solid walnut with striped upholstery. Designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman for Glenn of California, Los Angeles, 1952.
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Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, 1952
The same year that Greta Magnusson Grossman won the Museum of Modern Art’s “Good Design” designation in 1952 for the chair she designed for Glenn of California, she developed a comprehensive collection called the “62 Series” for the company, so named because Glenn’s founder and owner Bob Baron felt it was ten years ahead of its time. The prolific designer additionally created this line of dressers for the company, in which the feet structure gives lightness and dynamism to the piece. At the same time, the drawer knobs provide a modern twist.
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Single dresser in walnut on wrought iron legs. Designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman for Glenn of California, Los Angeles, 1952. -
Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, 1952
Side table with two asymmetrical shelves in walnut. Designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman, for Glenn of California, Los Angeles, 1952.
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Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, 1949
Custom upholstered four-seat sofa. Designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman and produced by Barker Brothers for the "GT Line," 1949. This example is from Grossman's home in Beverly Hills, CA.
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Greta Magnusson Grossman for Ralph O. Smith, USA, circa 1950.
Table lamp in putty-colored enameled aluminum on a chrome-plated steel base with one cone shade and one "Cobra" shade. Designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman for Ralph O. Smith, California, circa 1950. Good condition; paint has been touched up and the lamp has been rewired. Pair available.
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Greta Magnusson Grossman, USA, 1948
This floor lamp designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman and sold by Barker Brothers became such a ubiquitous part of the California domestic landscape at the time that it even appeared in the popular comic strip “Mary Worth,” as part of a thoroughly modern bedroom. Grossman used this lamp in many of her interiors, and it can be seen in a sketch for the residence of Frank Sinatra, alongside the chaise longue also in this show.
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Floor lamp in enameled aluminum on a chrome-plated steel base with two cone-shaped shades.