This Vitra Session video tells the shared story of the designer couple Charles and Ray Eames and the furniture manufacturer Vitra
Charles
Charles Eames, born in 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri, embarked on a journey into architecture. He designed numerous homes and places of worship in collaboration with various partners. His work captured the attention of Eliel Saarinen, who extended an invitation for a fellowship at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1938. In 1940, a pivotal moment arrived when Charles, alongside Eero Saarinen, secured the first prize with the Organic chair in the 'Organic Design in Home Furnishings, held by MOMA in New York.
Ray
Ray Eames, originally named Bernice Alexandra Kaiser and hailing from Sacramento, California, came into this world in 1912. Her educational journey led her to Bennett College in Millbrook, New York, and her passion for art guided her to the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts until 1937. In that year, she showcased her artwork in the inaugural exhibition of the American Abstract Artists group at the Riverside Museum in New York. Her path ultimately led to the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1940.
In 1941, Charles and Ray Eames married and made their way to Los Angeles, where they embarked on a collaborative exploration of three dimensional plywood molding techniques. Their mission was to craft chairs that harmonized comfort with affordability. However, the outbreak of World War II disrupted their endeavors. Charles and Ray redirected their inventive energies toward designing and manufacturing plywood leg splints, used by the United States Navy.
In 1945 they went into production with the now iconic plywood chair.
The turning point came in 1946 when their experimental furniture designs graced the halls of MoMA. Subsequently, the Herman Miller Company in Zeeland, Michigan, undertook the production of Eames furniture. The couple's journey continued with their participation in the 1948 'Low-Cost Furniture' competition at MoMA and the construction of the iconic Eames House in 1949, serving as their private residence.
In 1956 the couple went on to design the Eames lounge chair which went on to become one of there most recognisable pieces of design and manufacturing. A chair that today still sets the standard of furniture design.
Vitra & Eames
Furniture by Charles and Ray Eames holds a central place in the Vitra Design Museum collection. A substantial portion of the couple's estate was acquired in 1988. Following the exhibition 'The Work of Charles and Ray Eames' in 1997/98, the Vitra Design Museum presents a comprehensive retrospective of their life's work, titled 'An Eames Celebration,' comprising four simultaneous exhibitions on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein. Marking this occasion, the museum has published 'Eames Furniture Sourcebook' and 'Essential Eames: Words & Pictures.'
