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Action Office Wall-Mounted Desk

A desk with wooden horizontal surfaces and black metal components mounted on the wall with an attached overhead shelf.

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  • A desk with wooden horizontal surfaces and black metal components mounted on the wall with an attached overhead shelf.

Date:

1964

Artist:

Designed by George Nelson
American, 1908–1986
Manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Co.
Zeeland, Michigan, founded 1905
(note: Herman Miller Furniture Co. became Herman Miller Inc. in 1960)

About this artwork

In the 1960s, Herman Miller designers George Nelson and Robert Propst set out to liberate white-collar workers from factorylike rows of desks and typewriters. Their solution was the Action Office, a suite of furniture that allowed the office worker to move among pieces well suited to each task, such as a standing desk and mobile meeting station. The system was colorful, well built, and dynamic, yet it was eventually redesigned after poor sales, leading to the creation of what we now know as the ubiquitous and dull cubicle.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

George Nelson (Designer)

Title

Action Office Wall-Mounted Desk

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1964

Medium

Aluminum, plastic, and wood

Credit Line

Gift of Allan Frumkin

Reference Number

2001.434

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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