Charles Eames & Eero Saarinen “Organic Chair” Model No. A3501, 1950, USA
By Eero Saarinen, Charles Eames
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
Very rare and collectible Eames & Saarinen "Organic Chair", winner of Organic Design competition at MoMa. First manufacture from the early 1950s, laminated and moulded wooden seat shell, foam upholstery which was covered with textile fabric designed by Marli Ehrman. A special patented joint holds the wood legs firmly to the shell.
Originals of the organic from the 1950s are collector's items and exhibited in museums. They are also traded on art auctions, where one was sold in 1999 for $ 120.000 in bed condition. (take a look at the picture)
Designed for the “Organic Design” competition by Museum of Modern Art in New York on 1 October 1940. The competition was initiated by Elliot Noyes, the first curator of this newly installed department. The goal was to motivate architects and companies to develop and market modern furniture for a modern lifestyle.
Their participation in the MoMa competition was the first collaboration between Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames, and they won first prize.
Besides the chair, their submission comprised a high-back chair, an armchair, a sofa, and office furniture, which they presented in the form of several drawings. No true-to-scale prototypes were produced for the competition. Production of the “Organic Chair” only started in 1950 and was terminated after a short while.
The original design had envisaged aluminium legs. This idea was discarded because the material was scarce during the war, and wood was used instead. New technologies were also involved in the production of the seat shell, which was composed of strips of veneer and was to ensure utmost stability and comfort while using as little material as possible and being extremely lightweight. Later on, Eames based...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Germany
