Grossman Lighting

R Gallery Presents an Exhibition of
Furniture and Lighting by Greta Magnusson Grossman
Featuring photographs of her work by Julius Shulman

Biography | Lighting | Furniture

Lighting

In June of 1950 Greta Magnusson Grossman received a "Good Design" award for a table lamp, also adaptable as a wall-mounted lamp, designed for the Ralph O. Smith Company. This lamp, often informally referred to as the 'Cobra' because its oval shade resembles the snake's hood, was shown at both the Merchandise Mart Good Design show in Chicago, and at the affiliated, but more exclusive Good Design show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her lamp was later included in the Good Design 5th Anniversary publication as one of the "Popular Sellers from Good Design 1950-1954."

This award-winning lamp was one of many that Grossman designed for Ralph O. Smith’s collection of lamps. A factory brochure from 1950, sent to a customer by Ralph O. Smith, features seven different designs by Grossman, both table lamps and floor lamps. One of Grossman’s signature styles was actually a bullet-shaped shade with the ‘Cobra’ shaped shade above it to reflect and diffuse the light. These two, or in the simpler versions only a bullet shaped shade, would extend from the base on flexible arms so that the user could adapt it in any configuration. This series was produced in brass or chrome with satin aluminum shades available in ten colors, including brown, gray, black, red, white, yellow and several hues of green.