%C2%A9 Eames Office
"LCW" chair (Lounge Chair Wood), c. 1950–1955
Molded plywood and rubberexpand_more
Gift of Don and Bev Smithexpand_more 87.33.1.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
Charles and Ray Eames conducted numerous experiments in molded plywood techniques in the early 1940s, further refining the furniture designs Charles and Eero Saarinen designed for MoMA's "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition. Early chairs, and the splint shown in this gallery, were produced by the Molded Plywood Division of Evans Products Company, a Detroit firm. Charles Eames, who headed the subsidiary in Venice, California, pitched the partnership on the promise to find new ways to utilize Evans' ownership of numerous Douglas fir forests in the Pacific Northwest. By 1949, the Herman Miller Furniture Company of Zeeland, Michigan, which had been marketing and distributing the Eames's designs since 1946, took over production.
The lounge chair, perhaps the most sculptural of all the Eames's plywood chair variations, is constructed of five elements molded and bent by heat and pressure. The ergonomic seat and back are set at an angle to follow the contours of the body, and are joined to the tapering supports by shock-mounts made of black rubber. These absorbers add another degree of flexibility to the natural spring of the chair.
Details
- Title
- "LCW" chair (Lounge Chair Wood)
- Artist Life
- 1907-1978
- Role
- Designer
- Accession Number
- 87.33.1.1
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
© Eames Office