Harvey Probber was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1922. While attending high school, he took a part-time job in a used-furniture store, and was inspired to try his hand at drawing ideas for furniture. Probber sold his first sofa design when he was just 16, for $10.   After high school graduation, he accepted a job as designer for Trade Upholstery, a small manufacturing facility on West 17th Street.  1940 was the beginning of American modernism, a time characterized by young designers with talent, initiative, and a willingness to take risks with new ideas.