Pair of circa 1960s Charles Eames Fiberglass Shell Armchair for Herman Miller
View Similar Items
Pair of circa 1960s Charles Eames Fiberglass Shell Armchair for Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:Charles Eames (Designer),Herman Miller (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 24.75 in (62.87 cm)Depth: 23 in (58.42 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Base has scrapes to the back, not original glides. One chair is just a tad wobbly. Fiberglass is in great shape for their age, light signs of normal wear/use. More photos on request.
- Seller Location:San Francisco, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU955020998852
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.
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.
- Charles and Ray Eames Designed 1st Generation RKR Rocker for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in San Francisco, CAOffered here is a Charles and Ray Eames designed 1st Generation RKR Rocker for Herman Miller Two Birch wooden rockers, steel rod base and main body of the ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair George Nelson for Herman Miller Black Bookcases with Walnut DoorsBy Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in San Francisco, CAA pair George Nelson designed Black bookcases with Walnut doors for Herman Miller. Each shallow unit has one adjustable shelf, and small cabinet with a Walnut door. Behind the doo...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Rare Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Walnut and Glass End TablesBy Herman Miller, Gilbert RohdeLocated in San Francisco, CAA rare pair of low two-tier glass and walnut end tables or occasional tables designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller. Simple yet visually striking Mid-Century Modern design feat...Category
Vintage 1940s American Streamlined Moderne End Tables
MaterialsGlass, Walnut
$5,200 Sale Price / set20% Off - Warren McArthur Art Deco Aluminum Armchair, 1930sBy Warren McArthurLocated in San Francisco, CAA rare mid-1930s Art Deco aluminum armchair by important American designer Warren McArthur. Displays McArthur’s signature Streamline Moderne-meets-...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsSteel, Aluminum
- English Georgian Period Elm Ladderback Fireside Armchair with Rush Seat, c. 1800Located in San Francisco, CAAn uncommon circa 1800 English Georgian period country ladderback fireside armchair in elm with woven rush seat. Delightfully proportioned, with the tall six-slat back “towering” over the extra-low seat, and the frame having a laid-back profile. Hand-crafted of solid elm, with nicely turned arms, legs, and stretcher. Stands on carved club feet in front and simple metal band-reinforced feet in back. Displays very handsome authentic antique character, color, and patina throughout. Natural woven rush seat is likely not original, though it does have some age to it, is period-appropriate, and complements the overall look. Designed to bring a hearthside sitter closer to the fire, with its seat also being at a perfect height for a child. Antique ladderback...Category
Antique Early 1800s English Georgian Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
$780 Sale Price20% Off - Vintage 1940s George Nelson Side Chair for Herman Miller Model 4671By Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in San Francisco, CAOffered here is a vintage George Nelson side chair For Herman Miller it's a Model 4671, first designed in 1948.Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsMetal
$438 Sale Price29% Off
- Eames For Herman Miller Mid Century Fiberglass Shell Red ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Countryside, ILEames For Herman Miller Mid Century Fiberglass Shell Red Chair The chair measures: 24.75 wide x 22 deep x 31.25 high, with a seat...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- Eames For Herman Miller Mid Century Fiberglass Shell Blue ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Countryside, ILEames For Herman Miller Mid Century Fiberglass Shell Blue Chair The chair measures: 24.75 wide x 22 deep x 31.25 high, with a sea...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- Eames For Herman Miller Mid Century Yellow Fiberglass Shell ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Countryside, ILEames For Herman Miller Mid Century Yellow Fiberglass Shell Chair The chair measures: 24.75 wide x 22 deep x 31.25 high, with a s...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- Early Pair of Charles Eames Fiberglass Arm Shell Chairs "Crimson" Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Buffalo, NYEarly pair of Charles Eames fiberglass arm shell chairs "Crimson" orange, Herman Miller. Nice original condition, retains original gel...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- LAR Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller 1960sBy Charles Eames, Herman MillerLocated in WIJCKEL, NLCharles and Ray Eames Low Armchair Rod (LAR) for Herman Miller. Molded off-white fiberglass, chrome-plated steel, rubber. Signed with manufacturer’s mark und...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Early Pair of Charles Eames Fiberglass Arm Shell Chairs "Elephant Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Buffalo, NYEarly pair of Charles Eames fiberglass arm shell chairs "Elephant Hyde Grey" Herman Miller. Nice original condition, retains original ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
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.