Sun Shine

Either you love it or you hate it.

Very cool, very stylish and totally mine. To some this signifies the epitome of 50's Modern. Forget about Vitra's reissue, this baby is the real deal. Everybody tried to copy this one in some shape or fashion. My classic sweetness is an original George Nelson key wind Sunburst clock made by the Howard Miller company in Zeeland, Michigan. Back in the day(c.1948 or so), this little number sold for around $30. Pretty expensive for the times. What many people don't know about their beloved George is that he had a talented stable of designers that worked for him. When you say George Nelson, you may as well be saying Irving Harper when you're getting down to clock talk.

My little supernova hung on the wall of my parents cottage for many moons. They bought the cozy little shack almost 14 years ago from the widow of a oil company owner. They bought the place fully furnished and when I saw it for the first time I thought I was going to puke. Extreme orange shag carpeting wall to wall rubbing up next to shiny ebony colored paneling. There was a little turntable on a special cart and underneath were a thick stack of Hawaiian music records with a few polkas mixed in. Then there was that clock in the corner. That hip, cool fucking clock. We transformed the place with our creative minds but kept the Sunburst in its original spot. I always told my parents I would like to have it if they didn't want it anymore.

Monday night there was a knock on my door and it was my mom with a big bag of relics from up yonder. One of them was the Sunburst. I immediately took down a picture where I had always planned to hang it. It looks so hep, cats! So right at home.

I love it. Come on over and we'll read some Ferlinghetti, baby.


george nelson, 50's Modern, Irving Harper, Vintage, Original, Wind Up Clock, Howard Miller