Rare Greta Grossman Model 6200 Desk for Glenn of California-Dave Brubeck Estate

An exceptional and highly collectible original Greta Magnusson Grossman Model 6200 desk, designed in 1952 and manufactured by Glenn of California. One of Grossman’s most recognizable furniture designs, this desk is an important example of postwar California modernism and is represented in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). LACMA identifies the design as the Desk (with storage unit), Models 6200 and 6200a, designed in 1952 and manufactured circa 1952–1954.

This particular example carries an additional layer of remarkable provenance: it comes from the estate of legendary American jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, one of the defining figures of modern jazz and a leading exponent of the cool-jazz movement. His most famous song Take Five is the best selling jazz single of all time. The association feels especially appropriate for a design that, much like Brubeck’s music, is built around asymmetry, balance, rhythm, and unexpected combinations.

Grossman created the desk for Glenn of California during one of the most important periods of her American career. Swedish-born and trained as a cabinetmaker and designer, Grossman brought the discipline of Scandinavian furniture making to the emerging language of Southern California modernism. LACMA specifically notes the desk’s combination of Scandinavian and Californian influences, particularly its asymmetrical composition, contrast of light and dark surfaces, and inventive combination of walnut, iron and Formica.

The design is remarkable for how visually light Grossman made these otherwise substantial materials appear. A broad black writing surface seems almost to float above the structure. On one side, a suspended walnut storage cabinet provides the visual weight of the composition; on the opposite side, Grossman reduces the support to an extraordinary arrangement of a diagonally positioned tapered walnut leg and slender black iron rods. The Los Angeles Times singled out this very design as an example of Grossman’s ability to make heavy materials appear virtually weightless.

Viewed from the side, the desk becomes almost architectural. The diagonal walnut support intersects with the black iron framework, while delicate metal legs terminating in small spherical brass-toned feet lift the cabinet from the floor. The juxtaposition of warm walnut, black surfaces, iron and metal details gives the desk a graphic quality that is unmistakably Grossman.

The photographs also reveal how thoughtfully the storage was designed. A black cabinet door opens to reveal an organized interior incorporating drawers, open storage and a pull-out work surface, allowing Grossman to conceal the functional elements of an office within an exceptionally clean exterior. Period examples of the Model 6200 are documented with the same concealed drawers and pull-out work surface.

The desk is closely associated with Grossman’s celebrated “62 Series” for Glenn of California, developed in 1952. The collection received its futuristic name because Glenn of California founder Robert Baron reportedly considered the designs approximately ten years ahead of their time. That description remains remarkably convincing more than seventy years later.

This is not a contemporary reissue, but an original vintage Glenn of California production desk from the period, constructed in walnut, black composite/laminated surfaces and iron. The combination of original vintage manufacture, one of Grossman’s most celebrated designs, and documented provenance from the estate of Dave Brubeck makes this a particularly compelling example for a serious collector of American and Scandinavian modern design.

Brubeck (1920–2012) was internationally celebrated for expanding the rhythmic vocabulary of jazz, frequently working with unusual meters and contrasting rhythms. The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s landmark album Time Out included Paul Desmond’s “Take Five,” written in 5/4 time, which became one of the most recognizable jazz recordings of the twentieth century. A Grossman desk owned by Brubeck brings together two important strands of postwar American culture: the experimentation of modern jazz and the progressive design culture of mid-century California.

Today, Grossman’s Model 6200 desk is recognized as a significant work of twentieth-century design. Beyond the example held by LACMA, the model is documented by major design galleries and has appeared repeatedly at specialist design auctions.

Designer: Greta Magnusson Grossman
Manufacturer: Glenn of California
Model: 6200 / 62 Series Desk
Design Date: 1952
Origin: United States
Period: Mid-Century Modern
Materials: Walnut, black composite/laminated surface, iron and metal details
Provenance: From the estate of Dave Brubeck
Production: Original vintage Glenn of California production

Dimensions: 47.5 L x 24 D x 28.5 H - Knee space 28 Wide