| Howard Miller: Bubble Lamps |
George Nelson created the "Bubble Lamp" line for Howard Miller in 1947. Howard Miller continued to sell the line throughout the late 1970's after which they were discontinued. George Nelson never named the different lamp designs and they were simply given numbers by Howard Miller. A large Saucer lamp was simply sold under "Bubble Lamp H-727", a large Ball lamp was sold under "Bubble Lamp H-725". Howard Miller sold a variety of handy accessories for the lamps including a tripod base of satin chrome or brass-finished steel, swing arms, adjustable pulley fixture, etc. Also interesting to note is that all Bubble Lamps were available with criss-cross wire pattern except models H-725, H-726, H-727 and H-728. In order to get a criss-cross wire pattern from your dealer, you simply specified the order with "CC" after the lamp number.
Howard Miller did not sell the lamps directly, rather outsourced the sales to "Richards Morgenthau, Inc" who handled their national sales. Unfortunately the lamps were out of production for many years (we speculate since the early 1970s. In the 1990's Modernica reissued the "Bubble Lamp" line and "named" each individual Bubble Lamp design, for example Saucer, Ball, Criss-Cross, etc. The image on the top right was created by George Nelson Associates and was printed on most sales brochures of the Bubble lamps.
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From a Howard Miller Sales Brochure, circa 1968:
Airy, lighthearted "Bubbles" designed by George Nelson, make lamps and lighting fixtures that are so effective and functional in today's contemporary settings. Their pleasing shapes are fashioned in sturdy, light-weight steel and a special translucent white plastic. Use any incandescent or colored light bulb from 25 to 300 watts - depending on size and shape of lamp - the "Bubbles" will always cast a soft, even light. A variety of shapes and sizes...and a choice of accessories turn the basic "Bubbles" into ceiling pulley fixtures, "swag" lamps, table lamps or wall pin-ups!
The image on the left pictures a display unit which Howard Miller offered "free of charge" to dealers with a stock order on the Bubbles. It featured six variations of the lamps and a Howard Miller ceiling plate. Howard Miller called it "an extremely effective sales tool" and I am sure that no dealer ever refused this generous gift from the manufacturer.
We hope you enjoy this interesting page which features pictures of the original Howard Miller lamps with their original dealer prices dating back to 1970.
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-738: $14.75 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-761: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-725: $35.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-740: $14.75 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-763: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-727: $35.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-765: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-736: $12.75 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-766: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-737: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-767: $32.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-740CC: $14.75 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-739: $14.75 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-762: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-726: $35.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-733: $14.75 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-770: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-723: $35.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-734: $14.75 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-769: $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-724: $35.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-764 $23.50 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Lamp H-771: $25.00 |
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| George Nelson Pulley Fixture: $15.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Cluster A-3-738: $50.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Cluster B-3-740: $50.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Cluster A-4-738: $65.00 |
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| George Nelson Bubble Cluster A-6-738: $90.00 |
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