Eames ottoman
Charles Eames (St Louis 1907 - St Louis 1978) and Ray Eames (Sacramento 1916 - Los Angeles 1988)
Category
Furniture
Date
1956 - 1970
Materials
Rosewood plywood, Beech plywood, leather, steel, aluminium, paint, plastic
Measurements
41 x 66 x 54 mm
Place of origin
Newchapel
Order this imageCollection
The Homewood, Surrey
On show at
The Homewood, Surrey, London and South East, National Trust
NT 864325.2
Caption
This Ottoman along with a matching chair was a gift from the widow of the actor Lawrence Harvey to Patrick Gwynne. Patrick was a British Modernist architect who designed and built the Homewood.
Summary
An Eames ottoman, American, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, circa 1953-55, manufactured by Herman Miller, circa 1956-1970, with a moulded santos rosewood frame formed of a curved panel containing a buttoned black leather padded seat, on a swiveling black-painted steel column with four arm aluminium base, the sides of the arms painted black, each arm terminating of a foot made up of a black plastic disc impressed 'DOMES OF SILENCE ~ INSULATED' and a steel disc, the interior curve of the ottoman seat appears to be beech ply. A black label applied to the underside of the seat reading 'herman miller'. Together with a lounge chair (NT 864325.1) with moulded santos rosewood frame forming a curved panel for the headrest, a lower curved panel for the back and curved seat, each panel upholstered the front with buttoned black leather, with padded over curved armrests, the seat supported on a swiveling column with a five arm base. Re-upholstered, circa 2001-03 and re-lined in 2007. The first Eames lounge chair and ottoman was designed by husband and wife Charles and Ray Eames as a gift for the director Billy Wilder. The chair was featured in 1956 on the Home show hosted by Arlene Francis and very quickly became an American design classic.
Provenance
The Eames lounge chair and ottoman belonged to the actor Laurence Harvey. It was given to Patrick Gwynne in the 1970s by Harvey's widow, Paulene Stone. The Homewood and some of its contents were given to the National Trust by Patrick Gwynne in 1999.
Marks and inscriptions
Underside of seat: Black label reading 'herman miller'
Makers and roles
Charles Eames (St Louis 1907 - St Louis 1978) and Ray Eames (Sacramento 1916 - Los Angeles 1988), designers Charles Eames (St Louis 1907 - St Louis 1978), designer Ray Eames (Sacramento 1916 - Los Angeles 1988), designer Herman Miller , manufacturer Pamela Langbridge, upholsterer