So you’re thinking you like the Eames Lounger and it might make a great addition to your home. No doubt Eames Lounge Chairs have a great reputation for durability and comfort, as well as a pretty impressive appearance, but they also have some incredible history behind them. • Charles Eames and a friend, Eero Saarinen, entered a prototype Eames Lounge Chair in the 1940 New York Museum of Modern Art’s Organic Furniture Competition. • Saarinen, an architect, and Charles Eames, a furniture designer, where searching for methods to enhance furniture design styles and the technologies used in their creation, to suit the every changing needs of the consumer and the culture at large. • The first Eames designs incorporated molded plywood, a concept never before utilized in future production, but one that has since gained a major foothold within the furniture industry. • Eames and Saarinen won the 1940 Organic Furniture Competition and likely would have begun mass production of the Eames Lounger shortly thereafter, had American involvement in World War II not commenced in the midst of production planning. • During The War, Eames was involved in a U.S. Air Force production project which focused on the creation of durable molded plywood splints. His activities in the project proved quite beneficial to his dreams of creating uniquely designed, comfortable, and high quality lounge chairs through the combination of new technological means and the time proven techniques of handcrafted design methodologies. In working for the U.S. Air Force, Eames was able to perfect his methods for creating molded plywood with complex curvatures. • The Eames Lounge Chair is the creation of Charles and Ray Eames, a husband and wife design team who successfully combined craftsmanship and technology to foster a revolutionary change in twentieth century furniture design. • Following the end of World War II, Charles and his wife Ray expanded significantly the design components of the previous prototypes Charles and Saarinen had created. Eames Loungers were among the first chairs to ever include a split back rest capable of bending or responding to the comfort and position of the individual occupying the chair. • The Eames Lounge Chair was a distinct change in the industry of furniture production. The previous periods of furniture design and creation relied on the inclusion of various materials, components, and fabrics to create comfortable and attractive chair designs. The Eames Lounger brought furniture design to a new level through. The use of technological advances and time honored handcrafting techniques allowed the Eames design team to create high quality, comfortable, and attractive furniture utilizing a minimum of materials in the processes. • Eames Loungers, especially those of early production designs and prototypes, are highly valued collector items for those interested in modern design. • The Eames Lounge Chair holds a permanent place in the New York Museum of Modern Art. An entire collection of Eames Loungers and Eames kitchen chairs are continuously on display.

Perhaps you’re considering purchasing an Eames Lounge Chair, or maybe you already own one and are amazed by the comfort it provides, the durability it has presented, and the compliments on your taste it produces. You already know a lot about Eames Loungers, but there are a number of incredible things associated with these great chairs that you may not even be aware of. • The Eames Lounge Chair, often combined with the Eames Ottoman, was first released to the market in 1956; however, the first prototypes of Eames chairs date to 1940, when Charles Eames and his architect friend, Eero Saarinen initiated efforts to design a chair which would keep design and technological pace with the every changing cultural state in the furniture industry. • The Eames Lounge Chair is actually the result of the design collaboration of a husband and wife team, Charles and Ray Eames, who worked together on the project from the end of World War II to the introduction of the lounger on the market in 1956. • Charles Eames’ technical specifications for the molded plywood components of the Eames Lounge Chair were honed during his service in the production of plywood splints for the United States Air Force during World War II. • The Eames early attempts to produce durable plywood design occupied an extensive period of experimentation, from the closure of World War II until shortly prior to the release in 1956. • The present day design of the Eames Lounge Chair was not the preferred or original structure envisioned by the Eames. The initial designs incorporated a single shell seat and backrest; however, the final design released to the market employs a separate seat and backrest, created from two individual pieces attached by plywood supports in the lumbar section of the chair. • The period of development required, and the design changes implemented by the Eames were both the result issues surrounding the durability of molded plywood. As the plywood had a tendency to split or fracture over time due to frequent use, the Eames perfected their methods before releasing the chairs for production and sale. • The Eames Lounge Chair Wood (LCW) is one of the first chairs ever available which provide flexibility to the individual occupying the chair. The design of the lounger includes the use of shock mounts on the lumbar section of the chair, allowing the backrest to flex with the movements of the seated individual. • The Eames Lounge Chair is only produced by two manufacturers today. European production is exclusive to Vitra, and North American production rights are held by the Herman Miller furniture company. • Early models of Eames Lounge Chairs are prized collectibles for those interested in Modern Design trends. • The New York Museum of Modern Art features a permanent collection of Eames Lounge Chairs for perusal by visitors.