Mid Century Early Eames for Herman Miller Aluminum Group Swivel Office Chair
View Similar Items
Mid Century Early Eames for Herman Miller Aluminum Group Swivel Office Chair
About the Item
- Creator:Herman Miller (Manufacturer),Charles and Ray Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 38.5 in (97.79 cm)Width: 25.75 in (65.41 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa Mid 20th Century
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Keego Harbor, MI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2715335944052
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 chairs, sofas, tables and other 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. Such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
Find a range of vintage Herman Miller office chairs, desks, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Eames for Herman Miller Mid Century Early Edition Aluminum Group Office ChairBy Herman MillerLocated in Keego Harbor, MIAn Eames for Herman Miller vintage Aluminum Group chair. A beautiful mid century modern chair with an classic Herman Miller design. This piece features a bright blue fabric seat and ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Contemporary Modern Herman Miller Setu White Office Arm ChairBy Herman MillerLocated in Keego Harbor, MILe Shoppe Too presents these modern office arm chairs by Herman Miller called the Setu Chair, in white. We have a total of 10 available. In very good condit...Category
Late 20th Century Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Eames for Herman Miller DCM Plywood and Chrome Chair Mid Century ModernBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Keego Harbor, MIEnhance your home or office with the iconic Mid Century Modern charm of this Eames for Herman Miller DCM Chair. Showcasing the distinctive molded plywood construction, it combines n...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller Black Steel and Birch RKR Bikini RockerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller RKR Bikini rocking chair. One of my personal favorites, this rocking chair features an iconic wire shell chair design from Eames for Herman ...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of 6 George Nelson for Herman Miller Mid Century Modern Walnut ChairsBy Herman MillerLocated in Keego Harbor, MIElegant and sophisticated, this set of six George Nelson for Herman Miller chairs features two captain and four side chairs, all epitomizing classic Mid-Century Modern design. The wa...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Eames for Herman Miller Zenith RAR Rocking Chair w/ Rope Edge Original Base 1950By Herman Miller, Ray EamesLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA rare “RAR” (Rocking Chair on Rod) designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Cream/yellow fiberglass shell seat produced by Zenith Plastics, 2nd edition, circa 1950s. Rope ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsPlastic
- Mid Century Black Leather Aluminum Group Office Chair by Eames for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Detroit, MIThe Aluminum Group Management office chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller is from the Eames Aluminum Group Collection. These distinctive chairs resulted from the E...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs ...
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
- Eames for Herman Miller Mid Century Padded Fiberglass Teal Swivel Office ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Countryside, ILEames for Herman Miller Mid Century Padded Fiberglass Teal Swivel Office Chair This swivel office chair measures: 25.5 wide x 24 deep x 32.75 high, with a...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Midcentury Eames Aluminum Group Managment Chairs for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in BROOKLYN, NYFor your consideration are a set of 6 Eames side chairs upholstered in gorgeous fabric. Elegance and comfort separates this iconic chair from the rest. The upholstery is in wonderful...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Eames for Herman Miller Dark Gray Leather Office Chair Aluminum Group Soft PadBy Charles Eames, Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Detroit, MIThis authentic Eames for Herman Miller Soft Pad Management Height gray leather office chair from the Aluminum Group Collection was manufactur...Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
$2,300 Sale Price20% Off - Mid-Century Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Gray Leather Management ChairBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Secaucus, NJStunning authentic Mid-Century Modern Eames aluminum group management chair. A timeless design classic and contemporary with Innovative comfort features. One of Herman Miller most po...Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Mid-Century Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Brown Leather Management ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Secaucus, NJStunning authentic mid-century modern Eames aluminum group management chair. A timeless design classic and contemporary with innovative comfort features. One of Herman Miller most po...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs ...
MaterialsAluminum
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.