George Nelson

In 1952, George Nelson was inspired by a set of silk-covered Swedish hanging lamps that were lovely, but tedious to produce. He soon went to work designing his own series of lamps—and a more efficient process for making them. He used a resinous lacquer developed by the military for protecting decommissioned ships and planes. After spraying the lacquer over a wire cage, he coated the form in plastic to create a smooth, translucent skin. Today, Nelson Bubble Lamps are made the same way, with slight updates to extend their durability.