Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman (Herman Miller)

Overview

The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman is credited by Herman Miller to Charles and Ray Eames and was introduced in 1956. Herman Miller describes it as the Eameses' modern take on the nineteenth-century club chair and says it has been in continuous production since its introduction.

Image source: Herman Miller — Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman (Herman Miller) · © Herman Miller and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Construction

Both pieces are hand-assembled. The shells are 7-ply veneers, the cushions are individually upholstered and replaceable, and the back braces and the bases of chair and ottoman are die-cast aluminium. The chair base has a built-in swivel mechanism, the shock mounts are natural rubber and the glides are adjustable stainless steel. The chair comes in two sizes, classic and tall; the ottoman comes in one size.

Specifications

• Classic chair (ES67071): W 33.5 in (851 mm), D 35 in (889 mm), H 31.5 in (800 mm), sit height 16 in, seat depth 21.25 in
• Tall chair: W 33.5 in, D 37.5 in (37.75 in in the price book), H 33.25 in, sit height 16.5 in, seat depth 23.25 in
• Ottoman: W 26 in, D 20.75 in, H 17.25 in
• Shell veneers: walnut, oiled walnut, santos palisander, oiled santos palisander, white oak, ebony ash, white ash
• Upholstery: leather, Luce and Mohair textiles, bamboo-based material

From molded plywood to a club chair

Herman Miller traces the chair and ottoman to Charles and Ray's investigations into molding plywood and to a wish to improve a familiar living-room fixture, the lounge chair. Citing the English club chair as inspiration, Charles said he wanted the "warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt". A company video interview on the product page says the journey of the lounge chair is the journey of molded plywood.

Image source: Herman Miller — Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman (Herman Miller) · © Herman Miller and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

A television debut and a museum career

The set debuted on national television in 1956, when Charles and Ray Eames appeared on the NBC programme Home, hosted by Arlene Francis. Herman Miller lists the chair and ottoman in the permanent collections of New York's MoMA and the Art Institute of Chicago, and notes that they were the sole subject of a show at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York.