Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 26.38 in (67 cm)Width: 24.81 in (63 cm)Depth: 27.17 in (69 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:PARIS, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7398238077662
Charles Eames
The legacy of Charles Eames looms large in design. In partnership with his wife, Ray, Charles was at the forefront of pioneering innovation in the use of molded plywood for furniture making. The Eameses’ cheerful and inviting work has endured among the most important advancements in the history of 20th-century design.
Together, visionary mid-century modern duo Charles and Ray Eames introduced a wide range of renowned furniture to the postwar market, including iconic designs such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, the wildly colorful birch plywood-and-plastic-laminate Eames storage unit, the Eames compact sofa and more. The designers were trailblazers in molded plywood furniture and brought lively organic form to metal and plastic.
Charles Eames studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. He traveled to Mexico and Europe, and experienced firsthand the work of designer-architects Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 1930, upon returning to Missouri, Eames opened an architecture practice with Charles M. Gray but later moved to Michigan in 1938. He received a fellowship at Cranbrook Academy of Art, which would become a breeding ground for the stars of mid-century design. Eames continued his architecture studies at Cranbrook and also taught in the design department.
In 1940, Eames met his future wife, artist and designer Beatrice Alexandra "Ray" Kaiser, who was studying at Cranbrook under Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. Charles teamed up with another Cranbrook instructor, Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen, to explore the possibilities of plywood for use in furniture design.
With support from Ray, Charles and Eero created chairs and case pieces and submitted them to the “Organic Design in Home Furnishings” competition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City — among them was the groundbreaking organic Side chair made of molded plywood with maple legs. It was upholstered by Heywood-Wakefield. This exhibition is considered critical by many to the popularization of what is known as mid-century modernism. Eames and Saarinen won first place for their submissions to the competition.
Charles and Ray were married in 1941 and soon after moved to Los Angeles, California, and lived in an apartment building designed by architect Richard Neutra. Charles worked on set design at MGM, and at night, in a humble workshop they established in the guest bedroom, he and Ray experimented with molded plywood on a homemade device they called the “Kazaam!” machine. In 1942, the couple won a U.S. Navy contract to create molded plywood leg splints that would be used to support wartime medical efforts. Soon, the Evans Product Company was making the splints and the Eameses opened the famed Eames Office and studio.
The Eameses’ innovative use of wire framing, molded plywood and applied fabrics caught the attention of many notable figures in interior design and architecture, including George Nelson, director of design at Herman Miller, a now-legendary modern furniture manufacturer. The company enlisted the Eameses’ talents and was eventually home to the couple’s classic pieces such as the Eames DCW chair and the DCM chair.
Find an extensive array of vintage Charles Eames seating, tables and case pieces on 1stDibs.
Charles and Ray Eames
Charles Eames and Ray Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy and optimism at the heart of mid-century modern American design, and have been recognized as the most influential designers of the 20th century.
As furniture designers, filmmakers, artists, textile and graphic designers and even toy and puzzle makers, the Eameses were a visionary and effective force for the notion that design should be an agent of positive change. They are the happy, ever-curious, ever-adventurous faces of modernism.
Charles (1907–78) studied architecture and industrial design. Ray (née Beatrice Alexandra Kaiser, 1912–88) was an artist, who studied under the Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit (the legendary institution where Charles also met his frequent collaborator Eero Saarinen and the artist and designer Harry Bertoia) and married the next year.
His technical skills and her artistic flair were wonderfully complementary. They moved to Los Angeles in 1941, where Charles worked on set design for MGM. In the evenings at their apartment, they experimented with molded plywood using a handmade heat-and-pressurization device they called the “Kazam!” machine. The next year, they won a contract from the U.S. Navy for lightweight plywood leg splints for wounded servicemen — they are coveted collectibles today; more so those that Ray used to make sculptures.
The Navy contract allowed Charles to open a professional studio, and the attention-grabbing plywood furniture the firm produced prompted George Nelson, the director of design of the furniture-maker Herman Miller Inc., to enlist Charles and (by association, if not by contract) Ray in 1946. Some of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the LCW, or Lounge Chair Wood, and the DCM, or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel.
The Eameses eagerly embraced new technology and materials, and one of their peculiar talents was to imbue their supremely modern design with references to folk traditions. Their Wire chair group of the 1950s, for example, was inspired by basket weaving techniques. The populist notion of “good design for all” drove their molded fiberglass chair series that same decade, and also produced the organic-form, ever-delightful La Chaise. In 1956 the Eames lounge chair and ottoman appeared — the supremely comfortable plywood-base-and-leather-upholstery creation that will likely live in homes as long as there are people with good taste and sense.
Charles Eames once said, “The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.” For very good collectors and thoughtful interior designers, a piece of design by the Eameses, the closer produced to original conception the better, is almost de rigueur — for its beauty and comfort, and not least as a tribute to the creative legacy and enduring influence of Charles and Ray Eames.
The collection of original Eames furniture on 1stDibs includes chairs, tables, case pieces and other items.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: PARIS, France
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Leather sofa by Charles and Ray EamesBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in PARIS, FR3-seater sofa model ES108 by designers Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller, 1980s. The base is in polished aluminum. The seat and back are in brown leather. The original leather ...Category
Mid-20th Century Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Office Chair 3117 by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, Denmark, 1960sBy Arne JacobsenLocated in PARIS, FROffice chair, model 3117. It is part of the first 5 editions, unique chair of collection. Designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen. The seat height is adjustable. Shows slight sign...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Chair by François ArnalBy François ArnalLocated in PARIS, FRWhite chair by designer François Arnal (1924-2012), for Atelier A, contemporary era. The tubular structure is in white lacquered metal. It will perfectly complement the furniture of ...Category
Mid-20th Century French Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Sphère Chair by Boris TabacoffBy Boris TabacoffLocated in PARIS, FRSphère Chair by designer Boris Tabacoff (1927-1985), 1970s edition by Mobilier Modulaire. Transparent plexiglass seat on a chromed steel base. Very good c...Category
Mid-20th Century Chairs
MaterialsPlexiglass
- Metal chair by Pietro ArosioBy Pietro ArosioLocated in PARIS, FRMetal chair No. 2068, "Mirandolina" model, by Italian designer Pietro Arosio for Zanotta in the 90s. The seat is formed from a single curved piece of aluminum. 6 chairs available. DV210Category
Late 20th Century Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Tulip Chair by Eero SaarinenBy Eero SaarinenLocated in PARIS, FRIconic "Tulip" armchair by designer Eero Saarinen (1910-1961) from the 1950s. The shell is made of molded fiberglass, the base is made of cast aluminum, and the seat is cushioned with a high-end blue velvet fabric. Eero Saarinen's Tulip chair...Category
Mid-20th Century Armchairs
MaterialsFiberglass
- 1960s RAR Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Sagaponack, NYAn early example of the iconic RAR rocker with a molded, rope-edged fiberglass seat with large shock mounts, made by Zenith Plastics for Herman Miller, set upon cross-braced steel st...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Herman Miller Charles Ray Eames Authentic RAR Rocking ChairBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Baltimore, MDAuthentic rare Mid-Century Modern early RAR rocking chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This gorgeous mid-century rocking chair was produced between 1956 -1959...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsFiberglass
- Authentic RAR Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1960sBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYAuthentic and rare RAR Rocking chair designed by Ray & Charles Eames for Herman Miller. This rocking chair was manufactured in the 1960s. The rocking chair is in original vintage con...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Original Vintage Charles & Ray Eames RAR Rocking Chair for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Los Angeles, CATransforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsIron
- Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Millerr Midcentury Rocking Chair 1960sBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITAmerican Mid-Century Modern design rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller with original fiberglass frame and fabric upholstered seat, refurbished...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller RAR Rocking Chair Restored in GoBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in SAINT LOUIS, MOThe classic Eames Rocker! A cult-favourite design gets an added oomph, restored in our cozy, soft, classicly-hued Gotland sheepskin. What a beautiful piece! Herman Miller USA, 19...Category
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.