Ray kaiser, born in sacramento, california, demonstrated her fascination with the abstract qualities of ordinary objects early on. Their work spans the fields of furniture design, filmmaking, photography and exhibition design. It was the first chair that the eameses designed for. Produced in close collaboration with eames estate, this novel publication presents the husbandandwife team from both personal and professional perspectives, as well as the lively interplay of their public and private lives. Both have worked with the eames office in various capacities from the 1950s until 1978, the year of charles eames s death. It was designed and constructed in 1949 by husbandandwife charles and ray eames to serve as their home and studio. The story of eames furniture was written and designed by marilyn neuhart together with her husband john. The couple met at the cranbrook academy of art in michigan, coming to the world of design from two pathshe was a trained architect and she was a trained painter and sculptor. Brimming with more than 2,500 images and insider information, this twovolume book in a slipcase sheds new.
He even dabbled in history, designing the world of franklin and jefferson in 1975. Her creativity and productivity were so intertwined with that of her partner, it hardly seems a coincidence that she passed away on the same day as charles exactly ten years later. Vitra is the sole authorised manufacturer of eames products for europe and the middle east. Charles eames, ray eames lounge chair and ottoman 1956. Early in their careers together, charles and ray identified the need for affordable, yet highquality furniture for the average consumer furniture that could serve a variety of uses. The first one is told in unparalleled detail on 800 pages with more than 2,500 images at the the story of eames furniture book by gestalten and the second one is told in 16. In her later years ray also functioned as the chief archivist of their legacy and collaborated on a number of books about eames design. They are officially titled eames lounge 670 and ottoman 671 and were released in 1956 after years of development by designers. When you own an eames product made by vitra, you know it is an original. Choose from 69 authentic charles and ray eames tables for sale on 1stdibs. About the author the story of eames furniture was written and designed by marilyn neuhart together with her husband john.
The couple who shaped the way we live charles and ray eames were two of the most influential designers of the 20th century. History quotes architecture design catalogs case study. The legendary design team charles and ray eames made films, houses, books and classic midcentury modern furniture. Charles eames was an american designer, architect and film maker. This is the first comprehensive book on the eames legacy in over a decade, revealing the rich totality of the their work in all media.
Feb 02, 2017 italianborn furniture and jewelry designer bertoia made significantyet underrecognizedcontributions to the famous eames chair while working for charles and ray. Charles and ray eames are arguably the greatest furniture designers of all time. The eames lounge chair and ottoman are furnishings made of molded plywood and leather, designed by charles and ray eames for the herman miller furniture company. Among their most recognized designs is the eames lounge chair. Alongside newly commissioned texts by leading design experts, the world of charles and ray eames includes contemporaneous. They also wrote books, made motion pictures, and designed exhibitions, fabrics, and industrial and consumer products. Architecture eames primer by eames demetrios eames design book case study houses 19451962 view all. Charles and ray eames designed furniture, buildings, toys, films, graphics. The world of charles and ray eames rizzoli new york. Out of respect for charles s wishes, no book on them was published during their lifetime. Now available again, this lavish publication tells the story of eames furniture in unparalleled detail on 800 pages with more than 2,500 images. Now back in print, this groundbreaking book remains the most complete catalog of their studio ever produced, examining in considerable depth every projectmore than 200 in allproduced by the eameses and their. Charles eames worked with his wife from the time they were married, but they also knew eames furniture needed more than two good heads, so they hired henry beer and richard foy, among others. In creative partnership with her spouse charles eames and the eames office she was responsible for groundbreaking contributions in the field of architecture, furniture design, industrial design, manufacturing and the photographic arts.
They also worked in education, making public exhibitions on science and technology. My favorite section was on the worldwide midcentury modern movement and specifically, ray and charles eames. One of the competitions winners, charles eames, wowed the jury twice. Nov 30, 2017 the husbandandwife team of charles and ray eames became famous for their furniture, textiles, industrial designs, and practical, economical residential architecture. A book about the relative size of things in the universe and the effect of adding another zero by philip morrison, phylis morrison, office of charles and ray eames and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Charles 19071978 and ray 19121988 eames are among the most important designers of the 20th century, and the story of the eames office is that of visual and material culture in the postwar, modern period. The resulting highly sculptural yet functional, modular device could be massproduced and conveniently transported. Charles eames, who was also an architect, was for several years head of the experimental design department at cranbrook academy of art, bloomfield hills, michigan. The oeuvre of the american designer couple charles and ray eames is extraordinary in its range and diversity. Charles and ray eames made life better by design their. Raybernice alexandra kaiser eames, nee kaiser december 15, 1912 august 21, 1988, was an american artist, designer, and filmmaker. Dec 06, 2011 charles and ray eames headed the most creative design office in post world war ii america. They also worked in the fields of industrial and graphic design, fine art, and film.
Charles eames early struggles with the molded plywood technology were all but consigned to history following years of great effort and research, not to mention collaborative expertise from colleagues and peers. During that time 193941 he collaborated with the architectdesigner eero saarinen on various design projects, one of which was a. Some of their biggest successes were thanks to their ingenious research in and use of plywood, and the company they most collaborated with throughout the years was the american furniture manufacturer herman miller. Design changing her palette modern classics eames primer by eames demetrios view all. Combining imagination and thought, art and science, charles and ray eames created some of the most influential expressions of 20thcentury design furniture that. Charles eames and ray eames, american designers best known for the beauty, comfort, elegance, and delicacy of their massproducible furniture. They have looked after the house of charles and ray eames since the designers deaths and have supervised the eames. Recognizing the need, charles eames said, is the primary condition for design. Charles eames designed movie sets, and the eameses did research in the uses of plywood, continuing when, in 1943, charles became director of research and development for the west coast operations of the evans products company. Choose from 120 authentic charles and ray eames office chairs and desk chairs for sale on 1stdibs.
Explore all seating created by charles and ray eames. Katherine kaisun chia, architectural record charles and ray eames, perhaps the most famous design partnership of twentiethcentury america, did pioneering work in furniture, film, architecture, and exhibition design. Case study eames design book case study houses 19451962 birth of the cool view all. The world of charles and ray eames charts the history of their inspiring and prolific world and brings together key works and ideas explored at the eames office throughout its. History changing her palette modern classics eames primer by eames demetrios view all. Frustrated, he left california for pennsylvania in 1950 to work for florence knoll who he had met a decade earlier at cranbook academy of art and her husband hans. Learning at home join us each week for eames videos. The world of charles and ray eames by catherine ince. There have been many books about the eameses, but this one is different on two counts. The husband and wife team are best known for their groundbreaking contributions to architecture, furniture design, industrial design and manufacturing, and the photographic art. The war years had reenforced charles long held belief that the strengthened plywood could be something, and so it would be proven. Eames molded fiberglass side chairs charles and ray eames, 1950. Charles and ray eames are among the most important american designers of this century.
This system of lightweight, modular storage cabinets and desks is constructed of plywood, lacquered masonite, and chromeplated steel framing. She and her husband have allowed us to see furniture as not only functional, but beautiful. Functioning decoration furniture exhibitions film, multimedia, and multiscreen presentations originally published. His architecture and exhibition designs earned him. From a small workshop in venice, california, the eames office designed and developed some of the most iconic furniture in the history of modern design. Courtesy of vitra design museum f02 plywood tends to splinter when bent into acute angles. Official site of charles and ray eames eames office. Charles completed two years of study at washington university in st. The eames office llc is dedicated to communicating, preserving and extending the work of designers charles and ray eames. Charles eames biography childhood, life achievements. In my opinion it does some cover lesser known history about the eames such as the.
The husbandandwife team charles and ray eames started their eponymous studio a little more than 75 years ago. Charles and ray eames tables 69 for sale at 1stdibs. Eames office scholars walk furniture history scholars walk. Charles eames furniture, from the design collection, by the museum of modern art, new york. Early in their careers together, charles and ray identified the need for affordable, yet highquality furniture for the average consumerfurniture that could serve a variety of uses. This book is beautifully designed with an embossed cover and great images. Their groundbreaking furniture designs, which have remained current throughout the decades since their creation, play a central role in the eames oeuvre.
Both have worked at the eames office in various capacities since the 1950s. Charles and ray eames made life better by design their home was no exception. Now pat kirkham interprets their work in depth, probing the lives behind the designs and the nature of the collaboration. The most iconic item from the collection is the task chair, a classic office desk chair originally created with a mesh suspension back for outdoor use and adapted for the office. The world of franklin and jefferson book posted may 18, 2014. Frequently photographed in matching clothes, poses, or both, each brought a rich array of talents to. Eames storage units esu exemplify charles and rays effort to design and produce economical household furniture using industrial production techniques. The world of charles and ray eames catalogue history books. Eames chair history charles and ray eames chair design. Charles eames has 21 books on goodreads with 689 ratings. California design includes 350 images, most in color, of furniture.
Charles eames and ray eames american designers britannica. As charles noted about the molded plywood chair, yes, it was a flash of inspiration a kind of 30year flash. The world of charles and ray eames beaumaris books new. Charles eames 190778 and ray eames 191288 gave shape to americas twentieth century. Thoroughly researched by marilyn neuhart together with her husband john, who both worked with the eames office in various capacities from the 1950s until 1978, the story of eames furniture is an insiders account of the workings of the eames office from its founding 1943 and its closing in 1988. Explore all furniture created by charles and ray eames. Charles and ray eames are counted among the most important figures of twentiethcentury design. Arlene francis, host of nbcs home show, introduced charles and ray to television audiences in 1956, along with their iconic design lounge chair and ottoman. The husbandandwife team of charles and ray eames became famous for their furniture, textiles, industrial designs, and practical, economical residential architecture. They also worked in education, making public exhibitions on science and technology topics, sometimes in partnership with ibm.
This books reads like a history of visual design for the later half of the 20th century. They are best known for their groundbreaking contributions to architecture, furniture design e. Charles and ray eames office chairs desk 120 for sale at. The story of eames furniture by maria popova charles and ray eames are among the most influential american designers in history, whose contributions to modernist architecture and furniture, as well as graphic design, fine art and film, shaped the american aesthetic for decades to come. The concepts they created, the radical materials they pioneered, and the enduring furniture they built have all withstood the test of time, and are on display in museums as often as they are for sale. Nov 17, 2010 there are two ways to learn the eames story. The eames aluminum group was a collection of office furniture designed by charles and ray, and released in 1958. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. They have looked after the house of charles and ray eames since the designers deaths and have supervised the eames archive. For the most part, these are disconnected commentaries and histories, told from outside the office walls. Discover the illustrious repertoire of charles and ray eames, from furniture to. A book reveals that the famous 20thcentury furniture designers work. Seating eames molded plastic armchair 4leg base eames lounge chair and ottoman eames molded plywood dining chair metal base view all. Charles eames 19071978 and ray kaiser eames 19121988 were a creative couple renown for their furniture design and architecture, as well as textiles, photography, and film.
Nov, 2015 the world of charles and ray eames incorporates the breadth of their influence, opening with the plywood nose cone they designed for a military aircraft during world war two, and recreating. Husband and wife team charles 19071978 and ray 19121988 eames played a major role in the world of modern architecture and furniture, as well as working in industrial and graphic design, fine art, and film. The world of charles and ray eames charts the history of their inspiring and prolific world and brings together key works and ideas explored at the eames office throughout its extraordinary history. Louis, missouri, charles eames as a young man worked for engineers and manufacturers, anticipating his lifelong interest in mechanics. This is the first work ive consulted that describes their films in detail.
Charles and ray eames are considered the most influential designers of the 20th century. Their lives and work represented the nations defining movements. Chair designed by charles eames and eero saarinen for the organic design in home furnishings competition, designed 1940, molded plywood, wood, foam rubber, and fabric. Charles and ray eames, perhaps the most famous design partnership of twentiethcentury america, did pioneering work in furniture, film, architecture, and exhibition design. Navy called upon charles and ray eames to create a lightweight, inexpensive leg splint. Charles and ray eames designer furniture living edge. In 1948, the museum of modern art announced the international competition for lowcost furniture design to commission and challenge the best design brains in the world. Among midcentury furniture designersthat is, those working from the 1940s to 60s and even into the 70sthe unofficial king and queen of that era are charles and ray eames, the californiabased husbandandwife team. Creative duo charles and ray eames were one of the most transformative forces in design history. In creative partnership with his spouse ray kaiser eames he was responsible for groundbreaking contributions in the field of architecture, furniture design, industrial design, manufacturing and the photographic arts. Marilyn and john neuhart have absorbed their stories and meticulously portrays the history and development of eames furniture.
1117 1096 1234 1284 1141 377 238 504 773 1256 1238 1339 655 1190 170 860 1440 1384 940 555 251 1075 314 1244 466 1326 1490 519 550 569 222 1052 1170 875 82