To get a feel for what it was like to encounter the now widely beloved and collected Eames Lounge Chair for the very first time, pretend you're a viewer of NBC's Home show in 1956 and watch this video, recently featured on Gothamist, of an adorable designer couple presenting their latest work on national television. The reveal is a hokily dramatic one, with Charles Eames and host Arlene Francis stepping aside while the lights dim and the curtain rises to show the chair in question. Afterward, there's a short segment showing one being built (this way for a modern version), while before, there's a pretty informative primer on what Charles and Ray were about, from their original molded plywood and plastic chairs, to their relationship with Herman Miller, to the house they built, their lesser-known toy designs and Charles' work on Billy Wilder's 1957 film The Spirit of St. Louis, which is thought to have inspired the iconic chair.
· This 1956 NBC Segment Dramatically Debuts Eames's Iconic Lounge Chair [Gothamist via Gizmodo]
Loading comments...