Very Early Charles & Ray Eames Lounge Chair from Contura 1957-1965
View Similar Items
Very Early Charles & Ray Eames Lounge Chair from Contura 1957-1965
About the Item
- Creator:Charles and Ray Eames (Designer),Contura (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.68 in (83 cm)Width: 32.68 in (83 cm)Depth: 33.47 in (85 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1963
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Munster, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU139124152993
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.
- Hans Brattrud, Scandia Swivel Lounge Chair, 1957 for Hove Møbler, NorwayBy Hove Möbler, Hans Brattrud for Hove Möbler, Hans BrattrudLocated in Munster, NRWHans Brattrud for Hove Møbler, Norway, 1957 Scandia swivel lounge chair with removable leather cushions. Captains return mechanism. Amazing condition. An extremely shapely...Category
Vintage 1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Danish Mid-Century Modern Highback Lounge Chair in Hallingdal ca. 1965, DenmarkBy Peder Pedersen, Helge Vestergaard-JensenLocated in Munster, NRWHighback lounge chair in Hallingdal, bought in 1965, Denmark Incredibly comfortable and very well preserved Highback Lounge Chair - it was bought in Denmark in 1965. The chair c...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Steen Ostergaard Lounge Chair, Meteor for CadoBy Cado, Steen OstergaardLocated in Munster, NRWIn good condition, this is one of the most Iconic pieces from the 1970s.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPlastic
- Jens Risom, Vostra Easy Lounge Chair, Design 1941 for Walter Knoll, GermanyBy Knoll, Jens Risom, Walter KnollLocated in Munster, NRWJens Risom for Walter Knoll - Easychair Vostra, 1941 Design from 1941 - model of the 50s, beech frame. This Easychair comes from the private property of an art dealer in Cologne,...Category
Vintage 1940s German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Poul Kjaerholm, PK20 lounge chair for E. Kold ChristensenBy E. Kold Christensen, Poul KjærholmLocated in Munster, NRWFirst edition of the PK20 lounge chair, a graceful, elegant masterpiece created in 1968 by Danish designer Poul Kjaerholm for Ejvind Kold Christensen. It consist of an aesthetic cant...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Dieter Rams, Lounge Chair & Ottoman Rz 620 by Vitsœ, Cream-Coloured Leather 1962By Vitsoe, Dieter RamsLocated in Munster, NRWLounge Chair & Ottoman from the 620 chair programme, designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsœ, Germany in 1962. the set pictured was purchased around 2000 and has been in the second home since then and has therefore hardly been used - a really very beautiful condition. the haptically extremely pleasant and cream-coloured leather is the best quality you can order from vitsœ. the wheels run smoothly, you sit very comfortably. all parts are individually labelled with vitsœ! this offer includes1x Lounge Chair and its Ottoman, the other pieces of the set can be found in our other offers. The 620 chair programme is a kit of parts that adapts to your changing life. Separate chairs can become a sofa – or vice versa – at any time in the future. 620 has been designed and built to last a lifetime and more. The highest-quality materials have been used at every level to achieve the ideal balance between comfort and longevity. The outer shell is made from a hot-pressed sheet moulding compound, which is similar to, but stronger than fibreglass. The chair base is a traditional coil-sprung structure overlaid with a rubberised-coir pad (a mixture of torn coconut husks...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Charles & Ray Eames, Lounge Chair and Ottoman '2'By Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Napa, CAThe Lounge Chair and Ottoman is an iconic furniture design created by Charles and Ray Eames. It is widely regarded as one of the most significant and enduring pieces of modern furnit...Category
Vintage 1960s North American Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Charles and Ray Eames, LCW Lounge Chair, circa 1960By Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Belmont, MACharles and Ray Eames. Iconic LCW lounge chair in black stained plywood, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, Manufactured by Evans / Herman Miller. The veneer and chair is in good o...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Early LCW Lounge Chair in Birch by Charles & Ray Eames, Herman Miller, 1950sBy Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Vorst, BEAn early LCW (Lounge Chair Wood) in Birch. Produced by Herman Miller between 1952 and 1958 (the production of the LCW has been stopped in 1958 until its re-introduction in 1994). ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPlywood, Birch
- Charles & Ray Eames LCW Walnut Lounge Chair for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLIconic LCW lounge chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames in Walnut Plywood and manufactured by Herman Miller USA. The veneer and chair is in very good / excellent as new condition wit...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsRubber, Plywood
- Aluminum Group Lounge Chair & Ottoman by Charles and Ray EamesBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Sagaponack, NYA black leather lounge chair with ottoman each on matching anodized polished aluminum frames. Ottoman is 18" H x 21" W x 21" D.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Aluminum
- Pair of Lounge Chairs by Charles & Ray Eames, Vitra, 1980sBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Berlin, BerlinPair of Lounge chairs, designed by Charles and Ray Eames. Germany, Vitra, 1986. Beautiful original lounge chairs with a black shell and subtle and used yellow leather upholstery. ...Category
Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Bentwood
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.