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Eames Dining Arm Chair
The name DAR is an acronym for Dining Armchair Rod, which refers to its metal struts, and is often called the Eiffel Tower base. This Chair represents many of the characteristics of Mid-Century Modernism, especially the body-conforming contour of the seat, a pioneering example of the organic forms that helped define 1950s design. The plastic fiberglass armchair is one of the most famous designs of Charles and Ray Eames, and is still popular today.
DESIGNER | Charles and Ray Eames, 1948
Eames Dining Armchair
H: 32″
W: 24.5″
D: 23″
The name DAR is an acronym for Dining Armchair Rod, which refers to its metal struts, and is often called the Eiffel Tower base. This Chair represents many of the characteristics of Mid-Century Modernism, especially the body-conforming contour of the seat, a pioneering example of the organic forms that helped define 1950s design. The plastic fiberglass armchair is one of the most famous designs of Charles and Ray Eames, and is still popular today. Also revolutionary is that it was the first mostly plastic chair to be mass-produced. The Eames recognized and fully exploited the advantages of the material: mouldability, rigidity, pleasant tactile qualities, suitability for industrial manufacturing methods.
Sold by the millions, DAR’s influence on both commercial and residential furniture is enduring and beloved for its looks and for being inexpensive, lightweight and easy to maintain.
Charles & Ray Eames
Charles Eames (1907-1978), born in St. Louis, studied architecture and drafting, and his wife Ray Kaiser Eames (1912-1988), born in Sacramento, studied abstract art. They met at Cranbrook Academy in Michigan, where they met and worked with Finnish designer Eero Saarinen and others, developing a widely recognized organic style.
The postwar boom after World War II created a need for affordable furnishings and such goods were the focus for much of the Eames’ designs. In 1948, the Eames entered the International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design competition at the Museum of Modern Art and won a grant that allowed them to create prototypes for mass production. By 1950 they had switched to molded plastic for the seats of DAR and manufacturer Herman Miller began producing the chair.
Eames Dining Arm Chair | c.1948
Manufacturer
Original: Charles and Ray Eames | USA
Current: Herman Miller/Zenith Plastics | USA
Build
Dimensions: 24.5″W x 23″D x 32″H
Material: moulded fiberglass seat, steel base