As much money as Herman Miller made, it's entirely possible they put out fresh fruit daily in their showroom for customers.

... but you're probably right. It, like so much of the mid-century, was probably fake.

[The Eamses used actual plants, fruit and starfish in their displays. - Dave]

Sometime before 1960, I went to a classmate's house and saw a bowl of wax fruit. After looking at it for about 15 seconds, I picked up an apple. The classmate yelled at me not to eat it, since it was artificial. I conclude today that he yelled because I was not the first kid to do this.

Wax may be passé but I have fake fruit in a lovely sage green ceramic bowl on my dining room table filled with fabric covered apples, pears, bananas and grapes. They look real and don't rot or attract/spawn weird flies. The look of fresh fruit in a bowl is very nice but not too practical, most fruit should be stored in a refrigerator.

It's an early attempt at the cubicle. You don't get everything right the first time.

[Herman Miller designer Robert Propst's "Action Office" of the 1960s is regarded as the birth of the cubicle. - Dave]

That used to be a thing. When did that cease to be a thing?

There is a vast amount of furniture and one hideous sculpture hanging from the ceiling at the present day location of the former Herman Miller showroom. The company is still in business in Los Angeles -- here are some other 1950 Herman Miller showrooms.

So, this was a 50s thing! My dad was always bringing home pieces of driftwood from his travels and we had them on the mantel and end tables and knickknack shelves. I used to play with them and pick at all the little shell and pebble pieces embedded in the open grain.