Eames Time Life Lobby Chairs for Herman Miller
View Similar Items
Eames Time Life Lobby Chairs for Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:Herman Miller (Manufacturer),Charles and Ray Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 28 in (71.12 cm)Depth: 27 in (68.58 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1985
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU164526949193
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.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle-class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms. Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. As you can see on 1stDibs, such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
- George Nelson X-Leg Table for Herman MillerBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Los Angeles, CAGeorge Nelson X-Leg Table for Herman Miller. Originally designed and produced in the 1950s this was made as a work table for an office but equally intended for a dining space as well...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsChrome
- George Nelson Rosewood Thin Edge Dresser for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Los Angeles, CAAn eight-drawer double dresser from George Nelson’s Thin Edge collection for Herman Miller. Design features the slender rosewood case for which the series was named and a double stac...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsAluminum
- Mid-Century Modern Walnut Children’s Work Table by Herman MillerBy Herman MillerLocated in Los Angeles, CAA modernist children’s table by Herman Miller with a square tabletop and metal frame. Four round legs of brushed steel with steel glides sit slightly inset from the corners of the wo...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Charles and Ray Eames Dining Table DTW-1By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CARare early rectangular dining table in maple bent plywood designed by Ray and Charles Eames and produced by Evans Plywood Division for Herman Miller. Dubbed the DTW-1 (“Dining Table ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsPlywood, Maple
- George Nelson Brass Clock for Howard MillerBy Howard Miller, Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Los Angeles, CAGeorge Nelson for Howard Miller brass clock. A round brass clock on a tri-legged brass pedestal with a thick plexiglass face. The clock has b...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Irving Harper Fire Starter by George Nelson Associates for Howard MillerBy Howard Miller, George Nelson, Irving HarperLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigned by Irving Harper under George Nelson Associates for Howard Miller c. 1950s, USA. The footed cast iron pot features a coiled-handle and white firing stone that shows minimal ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Fireplace Tools and Chimney Pots
MaterialsIron
- 1960s Rosewood Eames Stool Ottoman by Herman MillerBy Herman MillerLocated in Victoria, BCAll original 1960s Eames ottoman by Herman Miller in rosewood. Overall very nice condition. 26” x 21” x 17.25” high Free local delivery. Worldwide shipping available (over ten y...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Furniture
MaterialsRosewood
- Groovy Chair by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1980sBy Pierre PaulinLocated in Hilversum, NLFrance's leading designer, Pierre Paulin, crafted the chic chair for Artifort, Holland's avant-garde furniture creator. Its compact design, exceptional comfort, and iconic appearance...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Furniture
MaterialsBouclé
- Model 67 Captain Chair by Erik Buch for Ørum MøblerBy Ørum Møbler, Erik BuchLocated in London, ONThe Model 67 Captain Chair by Erik Buch for Ørum Møbler is a timeless and elegant piece of furniture that will elevate the style of any room. Crafted with the utmost attention to det...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Furniture
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
- Antler Chair designed by Junzo Sakakura Architectural Office for Tendo MokkoBy Junzo SakakuraLocated in Sammu-shi, ChibaThe Antler Chair was designed by Junzo Sakakura Architectural Research Institute in 1966. It is a long-selling masterpiece chair that is still being made today. This is a rare monopo...Category
Vintage 1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Furniture
MaterialsTeak, Plywood
- Erik Wørts for Niels Eilersen Rosewood and Leather Lounge ChairBy Niels Eilersen, Erik WørtsLocated in Braga, BragaLounge chair Designer: Erik Wørts Production: Niels Eilersen Origin: Denmark Period: 1960s Material: rosewood and leather Color: black Dimensions: 76 cm hight x 60 cm width x ...Category
Vintage 1960s Scandinavian Modern Furniture
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- A pair of 1960s Teak Johannes Andersen Dining Chairs for Uldum DenmarkBy Johannes AndersenLocated in Hong Kong, HKOffering a pair of Johannes Andersen-designed curved dining chairs for Uldum Møbelfabrik Denmark, these Scandinavian Modern classics are carved from solid teak wood. Symbolizing Dani...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Furniture
MaterialsTextile, Upholstery, Oak, Teak
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.