Vintage View: Eames’ chairs

The achievement of an unqualified architect, Charles Eames (1907-1978) and his remarkable wife Ray (1912-1988) — the Eames’ collection holds a unique place in the history of art and design.

As a body of work, it was so beloved and successful that it has fuelled a worldwide industry of close reproduction to the present day. A whole era of furniture design and form is also immediately recognised by the Eames name.

There was a heady gang of other brilliant creatives in the States and Europe littering up those mid-century years of roughly 1933 to 1969 with tables, chairs, shelving and more. Arne Jacobsen (Denmark), Eero Saarinen (US), Alvar Aalto (Finland), Sir Terence Conran (GB), Mies van der Rohe (Germany/US), and Hans Wegner (Denmark). If you love and collect 20th century design, you will recognise their unique contribution, but for populist mid-century modern — Eames is the name everyone knows.