Rare Pair of "Kleinhans" Chairs, circa 1939 Charles Eames/Eero Saarinen
About the Item
- Creator:Eero Saarinen (Designer),Charles Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)Depth: 29 in (73.66 cm)Seat Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1939
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Chairs were originally upholstered,fabric over plywood seats,,professionally restored,,minor wear consistant throughout.
- Seller Location:Buffalo, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU106247010643
Eero Saarinen
Through his work as an architect and designer, Eero Saarinen was a prime mover in the introduction of modernism into the American mainstream. Particularly affecting were the organic, curvilinear forms seen in Saarinen’s furniture and his best-known structures: the gull-winged TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy airport in New York (opened 1962), Dulles International Airport in Virginia (1962) and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (1965).
Saarinen had a peerless modernist pedigree. His father, Eliel Saarinen, was an eminent Finnish architect who in 1932 became the first head of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit. The school became synonymous with progressive design and decorative arts in the United States, and while studying there the younger Saarinen met and befriended several luminaries of mid-century modernism, among them Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames.
At Cranbrook, Saarinen also met Florence Schust Knoll, who, as director of her husband Hans Knoll's eponymous furniture company, would put Saarinen’s best designs into production. These include the Grasshopper chair, designed in 1946 and so named because its angled bentwood frame resembles the insect; the Tulip chair (1957), a flower-shaped fiberglass shell mounted on a cast-aluminum pedestal; and the lushly contoured Womb lounge chair and ottoman (1948). In his furniture as in his architecture, the keynotes of Eero Saarinen’s designs are simplicity, strength and grace.
Find vintage Eero Saarinen tables, chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Buffalo, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Rare "Kleinhans" Chair, circa 1939 Charles Eames/Eero SaarinenLocated in Buffalo, NYIconic "Kleinhans" armchair, designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, early chair, collaboration of two modern masters, designed for the Mary Seaton room at Kleinhans music hall...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Fabric, Plywood
- Pair of Charles and Ray Eames Padded Arm Shell Chairs, Two-Tone /Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Buffalo, NYClassic pair of Mid-Century Modern padded arm shell chairs,Designed by Charles and Ray Eames, for Herman Miller. Beautiful two-tone, chairs are in really ni...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Seldom Seen Pair of Early Saarinen/Knoll Executive Armchairs, Aluminum BasesBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Buffalo, NYDesigned for one year in very limited production run, executive lounge armchairs designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, unusual square stock aluminum bases, slightly lower back legs ma...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsAluminum
- 1st Generation Charles Eames Zenith/Herman Miller Plastic Rope Edge ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles Eames, ZenithLocated in Buffalo, NYRare, early set of 4 Charles and Ray Eames Fiberglass arm shell chairs, extremely rare "Raw Umber" color, all 4 chairs retain original...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Early 2nd Generation X Base Arm Shell Lounge Chair by Charles EamesBy Charles EamesLocated in Buffalo, NYEarly 2nd generation X base elephant gray arm shell lounge chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. Amazing condition, featuring early solid iron X base, .Amazing color. Elephant gr...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsIron
- Saarinen for Knoll Executive Arm Chairs in Custom Order Contemporary FabricBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Buffalo, NYEero Saarinen for Knoll executive arm chairs in custom order contemporary fabric.Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- Rare Early Pair of Eero Saarinen Womb Chairs and Ottomans, Knoll, USA, 1950sBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in London, GBA very rare pair of early production Eero Saarinen womb chairs and ottomans, made by Knoll, USA, 1950s. Fibreglass, black enameled steel frames and first edition feet / glides. Newl...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mid-Century Charles Eames & Eero Saarinen for Vitra Organic Dining Chairs PairBy Vitra, Eero Saarinen, Charles EamesLocated in Secaucus, NJThe iconic classic organic chair was designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen in 1940 as a joint entry to the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" A competition organized by the ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Ch...
MaterialsFabric, Ash, Oak
- Rare Early Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman, Knoll, USA, 1950sBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in London, GBA rare early production Eero Saarinen womb chairsand ottoman, made by Knoll, USA, 1950s. Fibreglass, black enameled steel frames and first edition feet / glides. Newly upholstered i...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Eero Saarinen for Knoll Executive Arm Chairs Early Original Orange VinylBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAPair of early vintage Mid-Century Modern Eero Saarinen for knoll "executive" armchairs in their original orange vinyl. Item features very comfortable form, classic Mid-Century design...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Eero Saarinen for Knoll Pair of Two-Tone Womb Chairs with Ottomans, USA 1955By Eero SaarinenLocated in New York, NYA pair of the Classic womb chairs designed by Eero Saarinen with matching ottomans upholstered in bouclé and faux fur. These are e...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman, Knoll, USA, 1950sBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in London, GBAn early production Eero Saarinen womb chair and ottoman, made by Knoll, USA, 1950s. Newly upholstered in luxurious pure Alpaca fabric (brown / grey) with a structure of fibreglass, black enameled steel frames and first edition feet / glides. Fast shipping worldwide. When asked by Florence Knoll to design 'a chair that was like a basket full of cushions - something she could really curl up in', Eero Saarinen produced the Womb chair...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel