Pair of Early Charles Eames Fiberglass Armchairs
View Similar Items
Pair of Early Charles Eames Fiberglass Armchairs
About the Item
- Creator:Charles Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. All original.
- Seller Location:Hudson, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8473900921
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.
- 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
- 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
- Early Rope-Edge Fiberglass Armchair by Charles Eames for Zenith/Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Dorchester, MADesigned by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured between 1951 and 1952 by Zenith Plastics for Herman Miller, this is an early example of their classic fiberglass shell chair with a...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Early Eames Rope Edge Fiberglass Bucket ChairBy Charles EamesLocated in New York, NYEames rope edge fiberglass bucket chair. This example is in very good condition, no chips, cracks or discoloration save some minor bleed at ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Early Pair of Charles Eames Shell Chairs in Beautiful Light CoralBy Charles EamesLocated in Chicago, ILThis is a fine early matched pair of possibly Evans or early production years with Herman Miller. They have solid wrought iron X-bases. Large Shock Mounts. Wonderfully faded red fibe...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFiberglass
- Pair of Early 2nd Generation Eames Fiberglass LAX Lounge Chairs in Elephant GrayBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Philadelphia, PAA classic pair Herman Miller fiberglass lounge chairs designed by Charles Eames from the early 1950's. These feature very desirable elephant hide grey fiberglass on lower sitting ste...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel