"Many a rendition from the fabled Eames design duo must feature among the most iconic designs of the 20th century. Throughout the years, these iconic designs have endured in production until now thanks to the efforts of Herman Miller. The story behind the chairs really is remarkable. In the early 1940s, when Charles Eames was working at MGM set designs in Hollywood, he and his wife Ray experimented with wood-molding techniques that have since produced profound effects on the design world. They had been molding plywood in their apartment with what they affectionately called the “Kazam Machine,” which essentially pressed thin sheets of wood veneer against a heated membrane inflated by a common bicycle pump.
Their discoveries at the time led to a commission from the US Navy to develop plywood splints, stretchers and glider shells—molded under heat and pressure—for the military during World War II. After the war, Charles and Ray applied the technology they had developed to making affordable, high-quality household chairs that could be mass-produced using curved plywood instead of then-typical cushioned upholstery. When they found that the wood could not necessarily withstand the stresses that occurred where the chair seat and back met, they abandoned their original single-shell idea in favor of separate molded plywood surfaces for the seat and back. The process resulted in more efficient use of materials, reduced weight, sleeker design and greater comfort — and the Eames chair inadvertently became the basis for modern furniture design.
Abundant in modernity, the Eames chair finds distinction at the MOMA, posterity in paintings and magazines, and anonymity in stylish homes, around offices, schools and random yet tastefully decorated public areas. It has also been subject to much examination, documentation, scrutiny and acclamation, and seems able to transcend trend and decade with its solid wood, unparalleled design and beautiful craftsmanship..." - Hypebeast
via Hypebeast
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