Charles and Ray Eames Early DCW Ash Plywood Dining Chairs for Herman Miller
View Similar Items
Charles and Ray Eames Early DCW Ash Plywood Dining Chairs for Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 19.69 in (50 cm)Depth: 22.45 in (57 cm)Seat Height: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1955
- Condition:Repaired: Back panel shock mounts have been replaced in the past. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Amsterdam, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1710232891612
Eames DCW Chair
Although their ubiquitous leather lounge might be more recognizable, there’s arguably no chair that better embodies the design ethos of Charles and Ray Eames (1907–78; 1912–88) than the DCW dining chair. It was introduced at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art in a 1946 exhibition titled “New Furniture Designed by Charles Eames.” (Ray was notably absent from the exhibition title, despite being a full collaborator on the work.)
In its design, construction and manufacturing, the DCW is pure Eames. It was born of functionality and comfort, crafted in a shape that the ever-inquisitive Eameses decided would provide optimal support for a large number of people. “We found that comfort depended more on the perfect molding to the body shape than it did on the way the bone structure was supported,” Charles noted in a 1954 film on the piece. “If the structure was supported properly, the hard and rigid material, like molded plywood, can provide a remarkably high degree of comfort.”
This proper support is the result of the chair’s five distinct parts: a pair of two-legged bases, a bentwood seat, a bentwood back and a long piece of bentwood that connects each of these. Such construction allows for a certain flexibility in movement between the seat and the back without requiring any type of complicated adjustment mechanism.
The Eameses developed the DCW while tinkering with the “Kazam! Machine,” a mechanism they invented to press and mold wood veneer. In their Los Angeles apartment, the couple would place a sheet of wood veneer into the machine, then top it with a layer of glue. After repeating these steps 5 to 11 times and ensuring the layers were set in place, the Kazam! Machine was clamped shut and a bicycle pump inflated a balloon to press the layers into their molded shape. Charles and Ray then cut the mold and sanded each finished shape by hand.
The Kazam! Machine was a direct result of Charles and Ray’s determination to conceive an efficient, inexpensive means of production. Plywood, too, was a significant choice. Not unlike the molded plastic with which the Eameses would experiment, plywood was relatively cheap and easily available, rendering it optimal for the kind of democratic design the couple championed.
The Eames DCW chair has appeared (and continues to appear) in interiors by top designers all over the world. Today, it remains a top seller for Herman Miller — with equal credit given to Charles and Ray.
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.
- 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
- Charles & Ray Eames DSX Side Chair Natural Multicolor Set for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLIconic side chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller / Vitra. Molded fiberglass shells in the colours: Parchment, Raw Umber, Elephant Hide Grey and Black. Assembled...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Charles & Ray Eames DCW Ash dining chair with Dark Brown Leather seat for VitraBy Charles Eames, Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLIconic DCW dining chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and manufacture by Vitra, Germany. Solid Ash wood frames finished with matte lacquer. Seat and back panel is upholstered with ...Category
Vintage 1940s German Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Ash
- Charles & Ray Eames Contract Table Oak veneer for VitraBy Charles Eames, Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLElegant small dining or bistro table by Charles & Ray Eames for Vitra. The table has a chrome-plated aluminum base with a powder-coated stand and a table top veneered with oak and so...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsAluminum, Chrome
- Charles & Ray Eames EA117 Office Chair in Aubergine Leather and Aluminum, VitraBy Charles Eames, Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLIconic office chair EA117 belonging to the famous Aluminum Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US - EA334 Management Chair) / Vitra (EU). Exceptional comfort is...Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsChrome, Aluminum
- Charles & Ray Eames EA219 Office Chair in Chrome and Aubergine leather, VitraBy Charles Eames, Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLBeautiful office chair EA219 belonging to the iconic Aluminium Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US) / Vitra (EU). Exceptional comfort is guaranteed with the ...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Chrome
- DCW Dining Chair by Charles Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Sagaponack, NYAn early, Mid-Century Modern oak 'DCW' dining chair designed by Charles Eames with a double shock-mount to the backrest. Manufactured by Herman Miller in the USA, circa 1950s.Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsOak
$2,100 / item - Charles and Ray Eames, "DCW" Chair, Plywood, USA, 1950sBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in High Point, NCA moulded plywood DCW dining chair or side chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller, USA, 1960s. 16.6” seat heightCategory
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- DCM Chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CADCM chair (Dining metal chair) by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Designed in 1946, this molded plywood + chromed ste...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- 70 Chairs by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CAWe have 65 of the these original Herman Miller polypropylene molded chairs designed by Ray and Charle Eames. We have 65 white chairs.Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Dcw Dining Chairs Ash by Charles & Ray Eames for Evans / Herman Miller, 1940sBy Evans Products Company, Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles EamesLocated in Vorst, BEDCW (dining chair wood) chairs In ash veneer. First generation chairs produced by Evans Products Company and distributed by Herman Miller between 19...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsAsh, Plywood
- Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Plywood DCW Dining Chairs, 1950s Set of 2By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in London, GBThe DCW chair was originally released in 1946, with Herman Miller taking over the manufacture of the chairs in 1950. This lasted until 1953 when the chairs were taken out of producti...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
$3,197 Sale Price / set20% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
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.
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.