Greta Magnusson Grossman 1906–1999
Greta Magnusson Grossman was one of the leading figures of the Los Angeles Modern movement. Born in Sweden in 1906, she began her formal training at the Swedish arts and crafts school Konstfack, where she studied woodworking and ceramics. In 1933, Grossman became the first woman to win second prize for her furniture designs at the Stockholm Craft Association’s furniture competition. After graduating, she opened her own critically acclaimed furniture and interior design atelier. With her popularity, she was even asked by a Swedish princess to design a crib for the royal baby.
After moving to the United States in 1940, Grossman famously reported to the press that the only things she needed for California living were “a car and a pair of shorts.” She continued her entrepreneurial streak by opening up a store in Beverly Hills where her designs were eagerly sought after by Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo, Gracie Allen, and Joan Fontaine. Grossman’s famed Cobra Lamp was featured in both of the Museum of Modern Art of New York’s Good Design exhibitions. Impressed by the famed Eames and Neutra Case Study House program, Grossman designed fourteen houses from 1949 to 1959. Among her most famous is the Hurley Residence in Beverly Hills, which features a melding between indoor and outdoor space, a steel frame construction, and sweeping cantilevers.
Auction Results Greta Magnusson Grossman
Greta Magnusson Grossman
rare floor lamp
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $63,700
Greta Magnusson Grossman
floor lamp
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $40,000
Greta Magnusson Grossman
rare table lamp
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $26,250
Greta Magnusson Grossman
Grasshopper floor lamps, pair
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $26,250
Greta Magnusson Grossman
table lamp
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $15,000
Greta Magnusson Grossman
Grasshopper floor lamp
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $15,000
Greta Magnusson Grossman
occasional tables, pair
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $13,750
Greta Magnusson Grossman
Rare Octagonal coffee table
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $12,500
Greta Magnusson Grossman
cabinet
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $12,500
Greta Magnusson Grossman
Double Cobra table lamp
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $12,500
Greta Magnusson Grossman
rare coffee table
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $12,500
Greta Magnusson Grossman
table lamp
estimate: $3,000–4,000
result: $11,875
Greta Magnusson Grossman
Cobra floor lamp
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $11,875
Greta Magnusson Grossman
cabinet
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $11,250
Greta Magnusson Grossman
Grasshopper floor lamp
estimate: $3,000–4,000
result: $11,250
Greta Magnusson Grossman
desk
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $10,625