Born in Udine, Italy, Harry Bertoia emigrated with his family to America in 1930. In 1936, he graduated from the Cass Technical High School, Detroit, and from 1937 to 1939 trained on a scholarship0 at the Cranbrook Academy of Arts. He established the metalworking studio there and as head of that department taught form 1939 to 1943. Later, he worked withe the Eameses at the Evans Products Company developing techniques for moulding plywood. After the war, he worked for a short period at the Eameses’ Plyformed Products Company in Venice, California. His innovative wire chairs designed for Knoll International in 1951 were som commercially successful that the royalties form this group of designs allowed him to concentrate solely on his sculpting career.