a mid-century master rediscovered
Mid-century modern design continues to be one of the most popular furnishing styles today. Samson Berman was a mid-century master unique among his contemporaries, but because Samson’s custom furniture was created for homes he designed and was never mass produced, his work is less well-known than theirs. Despite its rarity, Samson Berman furniture has been collected and continues to come up for auction.
influences
While Samson admired the work of fellow designers Eames, Saarinen, Mies van der Rohe, and Bertoia among others, his lifelong passion was working with fine woods. Before emigrating from Germany, in his teens Samson apprenticed with a European master cabinetmaker, much as Hans Wegner did. Samson particularly admired woodworking master George Nakashima because of Nakashima’s reverence for and use of solid wood. See more on his life story
design approach
Samson’s Cooper Union industrial design education combined with his traditional old-world cabinetmaking training was key to his design philosophy. He embraced the use of new technologies and materials, juxtaposing them with fine woods and refined woodworking techniques. He incorporated post-war ideas of simplicity, functionalism, and open plan living while imbuing his interiors with warmth, richness, and beauty.
Samson used innovative, signature design elements repeatedly and refined them over time. They include: the use of fine woods in combination as tabletops and tambour doors; hand sculpted solid wood drawer/door pulls and table bases; a “butterfly” shape for vertical wood uprights, table edges, and frames; room dividers/screens made of sculpted wood elements with translucent material; tambour doors; hand-cut dovetail joints; inlaid ceramic tile and brass strips; and elaborate built-in cabinetry solutions. See Gallery
A number of interior design publications during the 1950s and ’60s featured Samson’s work, including Betty Pepis’ 1965 book Decoration A to Z and her 1962 magazine New Ideas for Decorating. The New York Times Magazine featured his work over 10 times. Good Housekeeping and Interiors magazines also showcased his work several times, as did a number of New York newspapers. (See Archives for these publications’ reprints.)
enduring appeal
Samson believed that good design, fine craftsmanship, and use of the best materials set the background for a way of life, helping people to function with ease, grace, and beauty within their homes. This gallery of today's room settings represents a a number of original furniture pieces, and they demonstrate the innovation, functionality, elegance and continuing appeal and relevancy of the work, nearly 75 years later.
At home and at work: Samson and Laura Berman in the early 1950's
Samson Berman bio
We believe that Samson Berman’s story is compelling on several levels: as a victim of Nazi persecution who lost his family, came to New York with nothing, and became successful through sheer talent and determination; as a recognized designer who represented the best of and flourished during the post-war era of New York’s suburban growth; and as an exacting practitioner who melded traditional and modern techniques and materials to create innovative and beautiful work.
Samson was born in Minsk, Russia in 1918 and moved with his family to Berlin in 1920 to escape the pogroms. He apprenticed as a traditional cabinetmaker in Germany during the mid-1930’s in preparation for immigration to Israel where practical skills were needed, a common escape strategy for German Jews. Instead of going to Israel, in 1939 he immigrated to New York with the help of relatives who sponsored him. During WWII, his parents were exterminated in a concentration camp and he also lost his brother. In New York, he met and married Laura (née Hannelore Oppenheimer) in 1941. In 1943, Samson joined the US Army and was stationed in Little Rock Arkansas, becoming a US citizen while there.
Samson and Laura both attended The Cooper Union after the war. At Cooper Union, Samson studied industrial design and Laura studied graphic design and fine art. They were deeply influenced by their time at the school, having been exposed to a wide variety of art and design disciplines practiced at the highest level.
In 1948 they bought a house in Queens, NY and set up their business Samson Berman Associates, Inc. there. Because Samson and his wife Laura, his partner in life and business, specialized in designing bespoke interiors for select clients, their furniture was never mass-produced, rather it was produced at their woodworking shop on Long Island, NY.
Samson and Laura provided their clients with professional design services, custom furniture fabrication, and construction supervision. They believed that good design, sound construction, and handcrafted workmanship performed by master cabinetmakers was key to producing high-quality products.
Samson died in 1980 at the age of 62. Though his career spanned only 30 years, he left behind a richly original body of work that still resonates today.
Laura Berman bio
Born in 1921 in Frankfurt, Germany, Laura lived there with her parents and brother until October 1938. Family in New York enabled them to leave Nazi Germany and settle in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood. Once in New York, Laura worked in the pharmaceutical industry before meeting and marrying Samson in 1941.
Laura was an artist from a young age, drawing and painting while at school in Germany. At Cooper Union after WWII, she had the opportunity to study fine arts and graphic design more formally. It was here that she developed what would become her life-long passion for painting, something she pursued throughout her life.
Laura was an integral part of Samson Berman Associates, contributing significantly to its success. She was a creative partner with responsibility for selecting fabrics, wall coverings, carpets, paint colors, and lighting. And she managed the business, interacted with clients, supervised public relations, and oversaw firm finances and operations.
Samson and Laura were a strong, collaborative team. They also formed lifelong, close relationships with their clients. They were warm, funny, and prodigious entertainers. They mixed the personal and professional with ease, enabling their business to grow through referrals and repeat work. They loved their work and the people it enabled them to meet along the way.
Laura continued to manage the business and serve clients for nearly 20 years after Samson’s death. She died in 1999.