Model EA 116 Chair by Eames for Herman Miller, 1960's
About the Item
- Creator:Charles and Ray Eames (Designer),Herman Miller (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35.44 in (90 cm)Width: 24.81 in (63 cm)Depth: 25.99 in (66 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Oud Beijerland, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5578236448592
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Oud Beijerland, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Set of 5 Model EA 105 Chairs by Eames for Herman Miller, 1970'sBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLVery nice set of 5 original EA105 Chairs. These swivel chairs are designed by Charles and Ray Eames and fabricated by Herman Miller in the 70's. They have the original green "Hopsak...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Model EA 124 + 125 Vitra Lounge Chair and Ottoman by Charles & Ray EamesBy Charles and Ray Eames, VitraLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLEA124 & EA125 aluminum armchair and footstool by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra, fabricated in 1999. The EA124 & EA125 aluminum armchair and footstool is one of the greatest furnit...Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Cosmos Dining Chair by Augusto Bozzi for Saporiti Italia, 1950sBy Augusto Bozzi, SaporitiLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLStunning and highly rare dining chair designed by Augusto Bozzi and manufactured by Saporiti, Italy, 1954. The chair has a black lacquered metal wire frame with brass feet. The chair...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Cosmos Dining Chair by Augusto Bozzi for Saporiti Italia, 1950sBy Augusto Bozzi, SaporitiLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLStunning and highly rare dining chair designed by Augusto Bozzi and manufactured by Saporiti, Italy 1954. The chair has a black lacquered metal wire frame with brass feet. The chair ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Model F444 Lounge Chair by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1960sBy Pierre Paulin, ArtifortLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLStunning model "F444" Chair. This comfortable model is designed by the famous French designer Pierre Paulin (1927-2009). It is manufactured by Artifort in the 60's. This chair show...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Italian Midcentury Wicker Lounge Chairs, 1960sLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLCute pair of Italian midcentury wicker lounge chairs, 1960s. Very elegant shapes made with the ultimate handcraft. The new cushions are upholstered with stunning Dedar Italy ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wicker
- Vintage Fabric Aluminum EA 108 Desk Chair by Charles&Ray Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Warszawa, MazowieckieThis EA 108 chair was designed by Charles & Ray Eames in 1958 and produced by US maker Herman Miller. This chair can rotate and is marked with Herman Miller sign, number 938-138. Fully original piece. The upholstery is made of ribbed blue hopsack fabric. The armrests are removable. Ray and Charles Eames are a pair of American designers whose name is known to anyone interested in modern design. Charles Eames was born in 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri. He studied architecture at the University of Washington and at the invitation of the Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, he continued his studies at the Cranbrook Academy of Arts in Michigan in 1940. Ray Eames was an artist and photographer born in 1912 in Sacramento, California. She made a significant career as a furniture designer since 1941, when she and Charles began molding plywood furniture. In 1946, the Eameses exhibited their work at MoMA, and in 1948, Herman Miller began producing their designs. In 1949, the famous Eames House was established in California - Eames House was also the place of exhibitions of many famous designers of that time. Charles and Ray Eames have been awarded many prestigious design awards throughout their careers, such as the UK's Royal Gold Medal and the Art Awards from American Institute of Architects. In 1985 the Association of Industrial Designers of America awarded the Eames the title of Most Influential Designer of 20th century. Charles Eames continued his career until his death in 1978, and Ray died ten years after. Herman Miller, Inc. is an American company that produces office furniture, equipment and home furnishings. Established in 1905 as the Star Furniture Co. Known since 1960 as Herman Miller, Inc. The products include Equa Chair, Aeron Chair...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Pair of aluminium chairs EA 108 by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller- 60sBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Padova, ITTrue icons of twentieth century design, the seats of the Aluminum Group series were designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the 1950s and were first created in 1958, defining what is still the standard for meeting chairs today. A clean and visible structure, which combines the stability and lightness of aluminum with the comfort of a covering - in leather, fabric or mesh - which, being kept taut only by fixing to the sides, becomes an integral part of the joint. Herman Miller, Inc. based in Zeeland (Michigan), is an American office furniture and furnishings company. Some products that have entered the history of industrial design are the Equa chair...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- EA116, Early Edition, Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1958By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Barcelona, ESRare early edition “EA116” designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. The stamp “Herman Miller Patent Pending” proves the antiquity of the pie...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Eames Aluminium Group Management Chairs for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in BROOKLYN, NYFor your consideration up to 18 aluminum group chairs in black leather designed by Eames for Herman Miller. All in very good original condition showing minimal wear. With manual tilt...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Eames Aluminium Group Management Chairs for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in BROOKLYN, NYFor your consideration up to 6 Aluminum Group chairs in black leather designed by Eames for Herman Miller. All in very good original condition showing minimal wear. Much better than ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Eames for Herman Miller Parchment DSS Shell ChairsBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Brooklyn, NYOriginal 1960s molded fiberglass parchment white shell chairs on stacking base, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Gleaming shells ...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFiberglass
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.