A Ball of a Time

photo: Zach Manchester

The hands of the Atomic Age-inspired Ball Clock point towards twelve wooden balls that tell the time- not just in hours and minutes, but of its mid-century origins as well. The rightful designer of the Ball Clock, however, may forever remain unclear. Designed in 1947, Howard Miller Clock Company (connected to Herman Miller) put the Ball Clock into production in 1950 and credited it to George Nelson. Although known as the "Nelson Ball Clock", the atom clock later came to be regarded as the collaborative effort of several legendary H. Miller designers, developed over a late night of drinks and sketches, with Irving Harper being key to its inception. Only even that version of events may be inaccurate. Harper has said that the account had been assigned to him from the beginning. Enigmatic as the design of the Ball Clock may be, the mid-century clock has proven a modern classic, making it truly timeless.

photo: ourhaus