Pair of Charles Eames Shell Chairs with Lounge Base
View Similar Items
Pair of Charles Eames Shell Chairs with Lounge Base
About the Item
- Creator:Charles Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)Width: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Depth: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)Seat Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Turners Falls, MA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU87289691033
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.
- Evans Herman Miller LCW by Charles EamesBy Charles EamesLocated in St.Petersburg, FLAn excellent example of Charles Eames Herman Miller/Evans 1940's LCW (lounge chair wood). All original with original shock mounts, screws and label intact.Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMaple
- Pair of Chrome Base Slipper ChairsBy Florence KnollLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-Century Modern slipper chairs with chrome base in the manner of Florence Knoll. Comfortable angled backs with polished chrome base. (Please confirm item location - NY or NJ - ...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsChrome
$1,396 Sale Price / set26% Off - Pair of Charles and Ray Eames "Translucent" Arm Shell ChairsBy Charles EamesLocated in Buffalo, NYGreat pair of lemon yellow arm shell chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames.. manufactured by Herman Miller,, early elusive see-thrugh "Translucent" fiberg...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Charles and Ray Eames "Translucent" Arm Shell ChairsBy Charles EamesLocated in Buffalo, NYGreat pair of lemon yellow arm shell chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames.. manufactured by Herman Miller,, early elusive see-thrugh "Translucent" fiberglass parchment shells...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Nicos Zographos Cantilever Bronze Base Lounge Chair CH28 in Carmel LeatherBy Nicos ZographosLocated in St. Louis, MOMid-Century Modern CH28 lounge chairs by architect Nicos Zographos with Carmel tufted leather seats and bronze bases, circa 1960s. Pair available, priced per chair. Designed and manu...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsBronze
- Pair of Classic Slipper ChairsBy Harvey ProbberLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA great pair of slipper chairs ca' early 1950's. Dark brown frames, reupholstered in period green/brown fabric.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
$4,800 / set