1970s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Pad Lounge Chair in Leather Model EA216
About the Item
- Creator:Herman Miller (Manufacturer),Charles and Ray Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35.8 in (90.94 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 38.6 in (98.05 cm)
- Style:Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:
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: Lebanon, PA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- 2010s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair and Ottoman Tan LeatherBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair & Ottoman in tan leather. Two sets are available, though the price listed is for each set. The set is in very good to excellent condition...Category
2010s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- 1958 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Reclining Lounge Chair in Saran FabricBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an original 1958 Aluminum Group reclining lounge chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This example is a true col...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
- C. 1988 Herman Miller Aluminum Group Lounge Chair with Ottoman in Black LeatherBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an original C. 1988 production Eames Aluminum Group Soft Pad reclining lounge chair and ottoman, designed by Charles and Ray Eame...Category
Vintage 1960s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- 1999 Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Soft Pad Executive Desk Chair in LeatherBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an Eames Aluminum Group Executive-Height Soft Pad Desk Chair, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1968. This particular example dates to 1999. T...Category
1990s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- 1970s Herman Miller Eames Time Life Lobby Chair in Cognac Leather 2x AvailableBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an Eames Time Life Lobby Chair, model ES105, designed in 1960 by Charles and Ray Eames. The chair was designed for the Time Life Building in New York. This model is slightly ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- 1953 Herman Miller Eames LCW Lounge Chair in Walnut w/ ProvenanceBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is An Eames LCW Lounge Chair in Walnut, dating to circa 1953. It has the 5-2-4 screw pattern underneath, indicating early Herman Miller production. This example is in very good ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWalnut, Plywood
- Early Pair of 'EA216' Chairs by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1970sBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Antwerpen, VANAn early pair of model ‘EA216’ swivel lounge chairs designed by Charles & Ray Eames in 1969. This is a high back version with rare sand-colored brown Soft Pad leather for maximum com...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Pair Eames / Herman Miller Aluminum Group EA116 Swivel Lounge ChairsBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Buffalo, NYStunning Pair Electric Blue Eames lounge chairs from the 'Aluminium Group'.Collection. Designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1958, The aluminium chair is ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- 1960s Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Lounge ChairBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Las Vegas, NVThis is an original Iconic Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. It was produced...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Eames Herman Miller Aluminum Swivel Lounge ChairBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in New York, NYNice early example of iconic Eames design Aluminum Group lounge chair in dark gray vinyl, circa 1950-1970. This example features the earlier version of the bases, please see images. ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Ea 216 Soft Pad Desk Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1970sBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Lasne, BELeather chair with aluminum base and wheels. Stamped Herman Miller under the seat. The chair turns on itself and reclines. Seat height: 53 cm. Wear due to time and age.Category
Vintage 1970s Central American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk...
MaterialsAluminum
- Charles Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair and Ottoman for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Dallas, TXCharles and Ray Eames 'Aluminum Group' lounge chair model EA124 and ottoman model EA125. This is an early production one-owner example that has been very well ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge 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.