Let's talk about Greta Grossman.

Greta Grossman (1906-1999) focused on industrial design, interior design and architecture. In the 40's and 50's she exhibited her designs at museums worldwide, including MoMA in New York and The National Museum in Stockholm.

The most iconic products Greta Grossman designed in the 40's and 50's were the Gräshoppa floor lamp and the Cobra floor and table lamps. The latter won the Good Design Award in 1950 and was subsequently exhibited at the Good Design Show at the Museum of Modern Art.

The Gräshoppa floor lamp. Now, imagine that this design was launched in 1947. Modernism at its best.

Grossman was highly influenced by European Modernism, which had been imported to the US by influencial architects, such as Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus) and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

The iconic Gräshoppa lamp was first produced in 1947. The tubular steel tripod stand is tilted backward and the elongated aluminium conical shade is ball-jointed onto the arm; so the light can be directional, yet the glare is minimal. Both stand and shade are powder-coated.

Grossman's product designs are highly collectible and are sold at auctions all around the world. Grossman's products are unique, modern classic designs.

Read more on the Iconic Design Series: Eames DSW Chair

Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014 and the luxury interior design blog All The Pretty Homes in 2024. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.