15 Charles and Ray Eames Aluminum Group Side Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 32.29 in (82.02 cm)Width: 20.48 in (52.02 cm)Depth: 25.2 in (64.01 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42.02 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2005
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1374220599682
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.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- DCM Chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated 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 Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated 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
- 16 DCM Chairs 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 steel chair is a classic design. Sometimes referred to as the "potato chip chair...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Early Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller DCM Chair in Oak, 1953By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Los Angeles, CAEarly Charles Eames for Herman Miller Company molded plywood dining chair in oak with wonderful patina. The oak version is very rare, only one year in production.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- 10 Charles Pollock Executive Desk Chairs for KnollBy Charles Pollock, KnollLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of 10 vintage Charles Pollock executive desk chair for Knoll. The ultimate ergonomic, office desk chair designed by this George Nelson apprentice, Charles Pollock. Sold separately.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Early Eames Chair and Ottoman in RosewoodBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CASecond generation Ray & Charles Eames for Herman Miller 670 lounge chair and 671 ottoman in rosewood and tufted black leather. All original upholstery and finish. In excellent vintag...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- One Charles Eames Herman Miller Aluminum Group ChairBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Pasadena, TXOne Charles Eames Herman Miller aluminum group chair 1970s Charles and Ray Eames aluminum group side chair, EA330 office confe...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Mid-Century Modern Charles & Ray Eames Swivel Chairs, Ottoman, Seating GroupBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Stamford, CTMid-Century Modern Charles & Ray Eames swivel chairs, ottoman, seating group Mid-Century Modern seating group having a pair of arm swivel chairs and a matching side table or ottom...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Herman Miller Aluminum Group Side office chair in Mesh by Charles EamesBy Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in BROOKLYN, NYModern Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group side office chair in Black Mesh. These chairs have no arms / no casters / no height adjustment, but These chairs do swivel. Labeled under fr...Category
Early 2000s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Herman Miller Aluminum Group Management Chair by Charles Eames, c. 1965By Herman Miller, Charles EamesLocated in Belmont, MAEames Aluminum Group for Herman Miller Task Chair, Zeeland, Michigan, c. 1965, aluminum, leather, Herman Miller manufacturer's label, ht. 30, ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Soft Pad Aluminum Leather Desk Chair, 1990By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Naples, ITBeautiful and elegant Mod. "Soft Pad" Eames desk/office executive chair with soft padding from the Eames Aluminium Group series by Herman Miller. Perfection of the classic and understated design of Charles and Ray Eames. Executed in black leather and aluminum. This model has all the extras, including adjustable height, tilt mechanism, with swivel and rolling base. Stamped and signed with manufacturer's mark and labels. All screws, caps, wheel and knobs are present. In good condition, with even color and no tears in the upholstery. Slight wear on leather , typical of any Eames desk chair.Category
1990s Central American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Set of Two Aluminum Chairs by Charles and Ray EamesBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Napa, CASet of Two Aluminum Chairs by Charles and Ray Eames, Upholstered in Original Orange Fabric. Sold as a set.Category
Vintage 1950s American Swivel 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.