Eames, Charles (1907-1978), and Ray (1916-1988)

The husband and wife team of Charles and Ray Eames created a multitude of artistic works in various fields from the 1940s to the 1970s. Charles Eames was trained as an architect; Ray (Kaiser) was an artist. After their marriage in 1941, they formed an unparalleled design team. Together the Eames' designed stage and film sets, furniture, exhibitions, interiors, houses, multimedia presentations, short films, graphic designs, industrial products, and books. Their greatest impact may have come from their work in two particular areas—architecture and furniture. The Eames' two Case Study Houses (1945-1950) with Eero Saarinen, Incorporated, prefabricated elements into a simple rectangular box; the houses became internationally famous as premier examples of domestic modernism. The Eames' furniture work evolved out of a series of experiments with molded plywood done for the Navy during World War II. "Eames Chairs" were widely praised in the 1940s and 1950s for their curving plywood forms, light weight, simplicity, and inexpensive price; they were also widely imitated.

—Dale Allen Gyure

Further Reading:

Albrecht, Donald, editor. The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention. New York, Harry N. Abrams, 1997.

Kirkham, Pat. Charles and Ray Eames: Designers of the Twentieth Century. Cambridge and London, Cambridge University Press, 1995.

Neuhart, John and Marilyn, with Ray Eames. Eames Design: The Office of Charles and Ray Eames 1941-1978. New York, Harry N. Abrams, 1989.