Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Ray Eames

Bernice Alexandra "Ray" Kaiser Eames (December 15, 1912 – August 21, 1988) was an American artist, designer, and filmmaker best known for her pioneering contributions to modern design in collaboration with her husband, . Born in , she studied painting under in from 1933 to 1939 and later attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art, where she met Charles in 1940. The couple married in 1941 and established the Eames Office in , a studio that became a hub for innovative work in furniture, , textiles, exhibitions, and film until Charles's death in 1978, after which Ray continued the practice until her own passing. Ray Eames's early career as an abstract painter and founding member of the American Abstract Artists group informed her later design ethos, emphasizing simplicity, functionality, and the use of industrial materials for everyday objects. and won a 1940 Organic Design competition at the with molded plywood chair designs. Together with , developed further innovations in molded plywood during , including leg splints for the U.S. Navy. Their iconic creations, such as the and Ottoman (1956) and the ( House No. 8, completed 1949), exemplified a philosophy of "" that integrated , , and human needs. Beyond furniture and , Ray played a key role in projects, co-designing textiles like the Dot Pattern (1947) and films such as Powers of Ten (1977), which explored scientific concepts through visual storytelling. She also contributed to exhibitions like Mathematica: A World of Numbers... and Beyond (1961) for , blending education with . In 1988, Ray donated over 1.5 million items from the Eames Office—including drawings, photographs, and films—to the , preserving their legacy as shapers of 20th-century American culture.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Family Background

Bernice Alexandra Kaiser, known from childhood as , was born on December 15, 1912, in , to Alexander Kaiser and Edna Burr Kaiser. She had an older brother, , and the family lived initially in a downtown apartment before moving to a outside the city. Alexander Kaiser, who had a Jewish upbringing but did not practice the faith as an adult, managed a vaudeville theater called the Empress Theatre in the Sacramento area until around 1920, after which he worked in insurance sales. Edna Kaiser, an Episcopalian homemaker, shared her husband's enthusiasm for performance arts, including classical ballet, popular entertainment, and early films, fostering a household with broad cultural tastes and liberal leanings. The family raised Ray in the Episcopalian tradition, and their shared passion for theater and the arts provided an early environment rich in creative stimulation, though Alexander's death from a heart attack in 1929 marked a significant shift when Edna and Ray relocated to stay near Maurice, who was attending West Point. From a young age, Ray displayed a keen interest in , particularly , where she sketched nature and people with enthusiasm. Her exposure to her father's theater world sparked a love for theater and , leading her to engage in plays and explore . She also taught herself , creating her own puppets and staging performances, which reflected her emerging fascination with structure, movement, and storytelling. These self-directed pursuits, influenced by Sacramento's local cultural scene and family travels within , laid the groundwork for her lifelong creative inclinations.

Formal Education and Early Artistic Training

Ray Eames began her formal education in at the May Friend Bennett School for Girls near , where she enrolled in 1931 and studied until 1933, participating in programs that nurtured her interests in theater, , and . This preparatory institution provided a foundation in creative expression, building on the artistic encouragement she received from her family during childhood. Following her time at Bennett, Eames pursued advanced training in painting under the renowned abstract expressionist Hans Hofmann in New York City, attending his school from 1933 to 1939. Hofmann, a European émigré artist, emphasized innovative techniques that profoundly shaped her approach to form and color, leading her to become a founding member of the American Abstract Artists group in 1936. During these years, Eames immersed herself in abstract painting, creating works that explored bold compositions and organic shapes. Her early artistic experiments extended to , where she drew inspiration from European modernists such as , incorporating fragmented elements and spatial play reminiscent of his cubist innovations. These pursuits reflected a broader engagement with modernist principles, evident in her still lifes and studies that blended painterly with sculptural ideas, such as copper cut-outs suggestive of forms by artists like and . By the late 1930s, Eames's training under Hofmann had solidified her commitment to , setting the stage for her transition into multidisciplinary .

Early Professional Career

New York Design Work

In 1933, Ray Kaiser relocated to , where she began her professional career as a display artist, contributing to Retailing magazine and creating window displays for the department store. She was also a founding member of the American Abstract Artists group in 1936, exhibiting her abstract paintings and contributing to the promotion of modernist art. Her designs for these displays incorporated abstract forms and everyday materials, drawing on the theatrical elements she had explored during her artistic training to create engaging, narrative-driven presentations that blended fine art principles with commercial appeal. These innovative approaches helped elevate retail environments into dynamic spaces that captured public attention amid the competitive urban marketplace. Kaiser also secured freelance opportunities in set design for productions and commercial exhibitions, applying her abstract aesthetic to and exhibit layouts that emphasized movement and spatial composition. This work allowed her to experiment with and , bridging her background with practical applications in performance and promotion. However, the late 1930s presented significant financial and artistic challenges, as the lingering effects of the limited freelance commissions and forced many artists, including Kaiser, to navigate unstable income while pursuing creative independence in a contracting economy. Despite these obstacles, her experiences honed her versatility, laying the groundwork for future design explorations.

Cranbrook Academy Experience

In 1940, Ray Kaiser (later Eames) arrived at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in , on a scholarship to study weaving and textiles, marking a pivotal shift from her earlier artistic pursuits in to a more structured academic environment focused on interdisciplinary creativity. This move built on her prior experiences in Manhattan's vibrant art scene, where she had honed her skills in painting and , providing a foundation for the innovative design principles she would explore at Cranbrook. Under the mentorship of architect , the academy's director, Kaiser immersed herself in studies that emphasized , , and the integration of form, function, and material in . Saarinen's holistic approach encouraged students to blend fine arts with practical applications, influencing Kaiser's development of as both aesthetic and utilitarian elements. She created early textile pieces during this period, experimenting with color, , and texture to achieve harmonious compositions that reflected modernist ideals. Kaiser's work gained visibility through participation in academy exhibitions, where she displayed woven wall hangings that showcased her evolving technique and sensitivity to natural fibers and dyes. These pieces, often large-scale and intended for architectural integration, demonstrated her ability to translate abstract concepts into tangible designs, earning recognition among peers and faculty for their innovative blend of artistry and craft. It was during shared classes and collaborative student projects at Cranbrook in 1940 that Kaiser first met , sparking an intellectual and creative exchange; they worked together on experiments with molded plywood, exploring its potential for sculptural and functional forms under the academy's experimental ethos. This encounter not only introduced her to new materials and techniques but also highlighted the collaborative spirit central to Cranbrook's , fostering her growth as a designer attuned to multidisciplinary innovation.

Partnership with Charles Eames

Meeting and Personal Relationship

Ray Kaiser and Charles Eames first crossed paths at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where Charles served as an instructor in the newly established industrial design department and Ray was a student pursuing advanced studies in weaving and painting. Their initial professional interaction evolved into a romantic relationship as Ray assisted Charles and fellow designer Eero Saarinen in preparing an entry for the Museum of Modern Art's 1940 Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition, fostering a deep personal and creative bond. This partnership culminated in their marriage on June 20, 1941, in Chicago. Following their wedding, Charles and Ray relocated to Los Angeles in search of expanded professional opportunities, arriving on July 5, 1941, and initially settling into a small apartment designed by in the Westwood neighborhood. The move marked the beginning of their life together on the , where Charles took a job in the motion picture industry at and Ray contributed to graphic design efforts for local arts publications. Over time, they established their home in the Pacific Palisades area, creating a nurturing environment that supported their collaborative endeavors. The Eameses' family life centered on their blended household, which included Charles's , , born in 1930 from his previous marriage to Catherine Woermann; following the divorce finalized around the time of Charles and Ray's union, joined them in and became an integral part of their daily life. Though Charles and Ray had no biological children together, their home became a vibrant space for 's upbringing, reflecting the couple's commitment to family amid their demanding creative pursuits. At the core of their personal relationship was a shared philosophy that emphasized playfulness, functionality, and cross-disciplinary , with Ray's artistic background complementing Charles's architectural precision to produce innovative solutions that integrated joy into practical forms. This mutual influence encouraged an approach to life and work that blurred the lines between , , and everyday experience, prioritizing durable, user-centered outcomes over mere .

Initial Collaborative Projects

Following their marriage in 1941, Ray and Charles Eames began their collaborative design work, with Ray contributing to the final presentation drawings for Charles's entry in the Museum of Modern Art's Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition alongside . Their submission won first prize in both the seating and case goods categories, featuring innovative furniture prototypes made from molded plywood shells that emphasized organic forms and adaptability for domestic use. That same year, the Eameses relocated from to , where took a position designing film sets for , allowing them to establish a modest apartment-based for prototyping. By , they expanded into a dedicated space at 901 Washington Boulevard in , , equipped for plywood experimentation. There, they developed the "Kazam! Machine," a homemade device constructed from scrap wood, parts, and a to glue and compress multiple layers of thin into curved forms, enabling rapid testing of molding techniques. These early experiments proved pivotal during , as the Eameses applied their innovations to military needs from 1942 to 1945. Commissioned by the U.S. Navy, they designed lightweight leg splints and stretchers molded from five to eleven layers of , which conformed to the body's for better support and were produced in quantities exceeding 150,000 units. Collaborating with the Evans Products Company, their "Eames process" addressed wartime shortages of metal and rubber while advancing techniques that would influence postwar furniture design.

Design Innovations and Contributions

Furniture and Product Design

Ray Eames played a pivotal role in the collaborative design of furniture and products at the Eames Office, emphasizing , innovation, and user-centered functionality in consumer goods. Her contributions often focused on refining forms for comfort, selecting aesthetic elements like colors and textures, and ensuring adaptability for everyday use, building on wartime experiments without delving into those prototypes. In 1945, Ray co-designed the LCW (Lounge Chair Wood) with , utilizing to create an ergonomic seating form that contoured to the through curves in the seat and back. This design incorporated rubber shock mounts for flexibility and comfort, allowing the chair to absorb movement while maintaining structural integrity, and was produced using five-ply birchwood veneers joined seamlessly. Although the core structure relied on , Ray's influence extended to options, where she advocated for coverings to enhance tactile comfort and visual appeal in domestic settings. By 1950, contributed significantly to the development of the molded plastic shell chairs, adapting fiberglass-reinforced to form a single, lightweight seat and backrest that prioritized universal comfort without padding. She personally oversaw color palette selection, mixing pigments at the factory to introduce initial hues like greige, elephant hide , and , which expanded to over 30 options and influenced the chairs' integration into varied interiors. Ray also participated in comfort testing with full-scale prototypes, ensuring the shell's flexibility through integrated shock mounts, making the chairs suitable for diverse users and settings. The Eames Elephant, conceived by and in 1945 as part of a series of plywood animal forms for children, exemplified her interest in playful, multifunctional objects that doubled as stools or toys. Crafted from molded with exaggerated features like large ears for added delight, the showcased compound curving techniques but remained in form until later reissues by Vitra in the 2000s, though limited editions echoed its original intent for child-friendly versatility. Throughout the 1950s, Ray advanced modular storage solutions with the Eames Storage System (ESU), co-designing interchangeable components like thin sliding doors with circular indentations for warp resistance and customizable panels in enameled or perforated metal. This allowed users to tailor units—such as low credenzas or tall bookshelves—for offices or homes, promoting economical, scalable organization.

Architectural and Interior Design

Ray Eames co-designed Case Study House No. 8, known as the , completed in 1949 in Pacific Palisades, , as part of the Arts & Architecture magazine's postwar housing program aimed at demonstrating efficient, modern prefabricated homes. Working alongside and initially , she contributed sketches for spatial configurations and influenced the pivotal 1948 redesign that preserved the site's meadow by elevating the structure on steel columns, shifting from an earlier "Bridge House" concept to one that integrated harmoniously with the . The house utilized off-the-shelf industrial materials, including prefabricated steel framing from Truscon, extensive glass panels for natural light, and modular Cemesto panels for walls, emphasizing economical construction and structural honesty. Ray's focus on living functionality emphasized adaptable spaces that supported daily work, leisure, and family life, with an open-plan layout featuring a double-height living area, loft mezzanine, and movable partitions to allow fluid reconfiguration without permanent alterations. In the interiors of the Eames House, Ray Eames played a central role in creating a lived-in environment that blended industrial minimalism with personal warmth, curating evolving collections of artifacts, toys, , and textiles to foster visual and tactile richness. She oversaw custom elements like a double-sided bookshelf in the for housing eclectic and magazines, alongside tallowwood paneling that extended from interior walls to the exterior south court, enhancing spatial continuity. Plant integrations were integral, with potted plants and floral displays throughout the courtyards and indoor spaces, reflecting her vision of nature as an active participant in domestic life and contributing to the house's ongoing evolution as a personal repository of curiosities gathered over decades. These details transformed the modular structure into a functional sanctuary, where everyday objects and greenery coexisted with experimental surfaces like rubber and screens. Ray Eames's architectural efforts extended to the broader House program, where she contributed to initial modeling and conceptual work for affordable housing prototypes, including unbuilt proposals that explored modular scalability. Her designs, particularly the , influenced sustainable open-plan living in by pioneering indoor-outdoor connectivity through large sliding glass doors, courtyards, and overhangs that maximized ocean breezes and natural ventilation while minimizing energy needs via site-sensitive berming and low-maintenance landscaping. This approach blurred boundaries between interior and exterior, promoting flexible, light-filled spaces that embodied modernist ideals of efficiency and environmental harmony, setting precedents for adaptive residential architecture in the region's .

Graphic, Textile, and Multimedia Design

Ray Eames drew upon her early training in and abstract painting to create innovative designs in the late , emphasizing playful patterns inspired by everyday observations and natural forms. Her "Sea Things" pattern, developed in 1947 for the Museum of Modern Art's International Competition for Printed s, features whimsical undersea motifs scattered across the fabric, evoking tiny creatures in a marine environment. Although it received an honorable mention rather than a top prize, the design was commercially produced in 1950 by Schiffer Prints as an , available in colorways like and suitable for home furnishings such as pillows and curtains. This work reflected Ray's ability to blend organic abstraction with functional application, rooted in her pre-partnership experiments with fabric at Cranbrook Academy. Similarly, Ray Eames's "Dot Pattern," also submitted to the 1947 MoMA competition, became her most enduring contribution, characterized by simple, repeating geometric dots that suggest shadows or forms. Realized posthumously in by Maharam as a cotton-polyester blend, it has been widely used in for furniture, as well as in pillows, tablecloths, and even airline amenity pouches, demonstrating its versatility in domestic and commercial settings. The pattern's origins trace to Ray's close observation of light and shadow on molded chairs in the Eames studio, underscoring her integrative approach to across media. These textiles occasionally informed furniture , enhancing the tactile and visual harmony of Eames pieces without dominating their structural focus. In , Ray Eames played a pivotal role in shaping the Eames Office's visual identity, infusing branding materials with a distinctive, approachable through motifs that combined , , and . She contributed to the office's , which featured playful, hand-drawn elements like abstract icons and custom letterheads that reflected the collaborative spirit of their practice. Invitations and promotional materials, such as those for exhibitions and product launches, often bore her influence in their clean layouts and whimsical details, as highlighted in retrospectives of the office's output. Logos for client projects and internal branding similarly incorporated her subtle, narrative-driven graphics, prioritizing clarity and delight over ornamentation. Ray Eames extended her design expertise into multimedia through co-directing short films that emphasized innovative visual storytelling and narrative scripting. In the 1968 rough sketch version of Powers of Ten, later refined and released in 1977, she collaborated with to adapt Kees Boeke's Cosmic View, scripting a journey through scales of the universe—from galactic expanses to atomic structures—using precise exponential zooms to convey scientific concepts accessibly. Her contributions focused on the film's rhythmic narration and layered visuals, blending live-action footage, animation, and explanatory text to create an immersive educational experience that has influenced . The project, narrated in multiple languages and scored by , earned recognition from the for its cultural significance. A landmark in Ray Eames's work was her involvement in the for the 1959 in , where she helped craft Glimpses of the U.S.A., a 12-minute multi-screen presentation projected on seven 30-foot-wide screens inside a . Drawing on over 2,200 still and moving images, many photographed by the Eameses themselves, the installation integrated bold with dynamic to depict the diversity of American life—from urban scenes to natural landscapes—fostering cultural exchange during the era. Ray's scripting and visual composition emphasized fluid transitions and informational density, making complex societal narratives engaging for Soviet audiences.

The Eames Office and Key Projects

Office Establishment and Operations

The Office of was established in 1941 in following their marriage, with early experiments conducted in their apartment before moving to a workshop at 901 Boulevard in in 1943, which served as the studio until Ray's death in 1988. This location marked the shift from wartime prototyping to commercial production, with the office serving as a hub for furniture, , graphics, and until Ray Eames's death in 1988. Ray Eames took on key responsibilities in , managing daily operations and preserving the office's even after Charles's in 1978, while also handling client relations by welcoming visitors, students, and collaborators to maintain strong community ties. She emphasized through her focus on functionality and durability, often refining details in form, color, and finishing to ensure designs met practical needs, in contrast to Charles's primary emphasis on technical innovation and experimentation. The office expanded its team significantly from the 1950s through the 1970s to support growing projects, hiring specialists such as Don Albinson in 1946 for modeling and prototyping and furniture, and Jehanne Burns in the 1950s for editorial research and textile-related work. This growth enabled a multidisciplinary approach, with staff contributing to diverse outputs under Ray's oversight of coordination and quality. Business practices at the office centered on rigorous into needs and materials, followed by iterative prototyping to refine concepts before licensing them to manufacturers like for mass production starting in 1946. This model prioritized accessible, innovative design while ensuring scalability and fidelity to original visions through close collaboration with production partners.

Iconic Works and Exhibitions

One of the most influential exhibitions from the Eames Office was "Glimpses of the U.S.A.", a pioneering presentation debuted at the 1958 as part of the U.S. pavilion. Co-designed by , the show enveloped audiences in a , projecting over 2,200 still and moving images across seven 30-foot screens to create a panoramic portrait of everyday American life—from urban scenes to rural landscapes and cultural vignettes—running for 12 minutes with an original score by . Ray Eames played a pivotal curatorial role, selecting images and coordinating the seamless integration of photography, film, and projection technology to convey the nation's diversity without narration, making it a in immersive that later toured, including at the 1959 in . The Mathematica exhibit, commissioned by and first unveiled in 1961 at the Museum of Science and Industry, represented another high point of the Eames Office's work, with Ray Eames contributing to its integrative curation of educational content. Adapted and expanded for the at the , the exhibit featured interactive kinetic models—such as the hypnotic simulating planetary orbits and funhouse mirrors demonstrating geometric transposition—alongside a 40-foot timeline chronicling modern from onward. Ray's curatorial vision ensured these elements, including short films on mathematical principles, fostered intuitive understanding for visitors of all ages, with the 1967 film "A Computer " extending the theme by visualizing computational processes through abstract imagery and models. The exhibit's playful yet rigorous approach to demystifying math ran for decades, influencing globally. Beyond large-scale exhibitions, Ray Eames's curatorial and design talents shone in domestic-scale projects, including toys and home interiors that emphasized functionality, play, and material harmony. In the 1950s, she co-designed the "House of Cards" game, comprising two decks of 54 slotted playing cards illustrated with vibrant geometric patterns, classical motifs, and abstract forms, allowing users to construct freestanding structures that encouraged creative exploration for children and adults alike. Complementing these were Ray's holiday house designs, annual paper-based models and decorations for the Eames House that incorporated everyday materials like cardboard and wire to evoke festive, modular dwellings, reflecting her skill in blending whimsy with architectural precision.

Later Years and Legacy

Major Late-Career Projects

In the years following Charles Eames's death in 1978, Ray Eames dedicated herself to completing several unfinished projects from the while prioritizing the preservation and documentation of their collaborative legacy. She oversaw the finalization of ongoing initiatives, including exhibitions and design refinements, ensuring their vision remained intact amid evolving production standards. This period marked a shift toward , as Ray organized vast archives and coordinated efforts to catalog their output, culminating in the 1989 publication of Eames Design: The Work of the of , a comprehensive volume co-authored with John and Marilyn Neuhart that began development in the early . Ray's environmental advocacy in the late 1970s and 1980s centered on the sustainable maintenance of the Eames House landscape, where she emphasized ecological harmony by nurturing the site's meadow and integrating recycled and off-the-shelf materials into ongoing repairs. In a 1983 interview, she highlighted the importance of preserving the natural surroundings without disrupting the original design's minimal intervention, reflecting a commitment to resource-conscious stewardship that aligned with broader ecological concerns of the era. These efforts included post-1978 repainting and structural fixes using durable, low-impact methods, underscoring her role in modeling environmentally sensitive adaptive practices for modernist architecture. Educational initiatives during this time included Ray's contributions to films, interviews, and tools that disseminated design principles to future generations. She participated in the 1980 oral history interview conducted by the Archives of American Art, offering insights into their methodologies, collaborative processes, and pedagogical approaches to furniture, architecture, and multimedia. This work, along with her involvement in updating educational resources like the Design Q&A framework—originally a 1972 film but revisited in interviews and writings—served as tools for teaching constraint-based design and problem-solving. Her efforts extended to precursor activities for the Eames Foundation, including the donation of the archive to the in 1988, which facilitated long-term educational access to their materials and supported preservation programs focused on interpretive tools for visitors and scholars. Ray Eames engaged in international lectures and workshops throughout the , often emphasizing principles drawn from their lifelong experimentation with efficient materials and modular systems. At institutions like the , she shared perspectives on integrating environmental considerations into and , advocating for approaches that minimized waste and maximized adaptability—ideas rooted in the Eames House's prefabricated ethos. These talks, documented in lecture lists from 1980 onward, highlighted her advocacy for design as a tool for ecological awareness, influencing students and professionals on topics like resource-efficient living spaces. Among her final projects were targeted updates to the landscape, such as refining pathways and plantings to enhance site integration while preserving its modernist character. These modifications, undertaken until her in 1988, incorporated unproduced ideas for of spaces, including conceptual explorations of repurposing underutilized areas within the house and studio for community or educational functions without altering core structures. Such concepts, though unrealized during her lifetime, informed later strategies and underscored her vision for evolving modernist sites to meet contemporary needs sustainably. The 's designation as a in 1988, coinciding with her passing, cemented these efforts as pivotal to ongoing preservation.

Awards, Recognition, and Influence

Ray Eames received significant recognition for her collaborative work with , particularly in and design. In 1978, the , co-designed by the couple, was awarded the ' Twenty-Five Year Award, honoring structures of enduring significance that have had a demonstrable impact on the evolution of . This accolade highlighted the house's innovative use of prefabricated materials and its role as a modernist icon. Additionally, in 1979, the couple was jointly awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects, with Ray accepting the honor on behalf of both following Charles's death the previous year; the award acknowledged their profound influence on international design practice. Ray Eames passed away on August 21, 1988, at the age of 75, from complications of cancer at in —exactly ten years to the day after Charles's death. Following her death, Ray Eames's legacy was further preserved through institutional efforts. The Eames Foundation, established in 2004 by Charles's daughter Lucia Eames, focuses on conserving the and promoting the couple's creative philosophy through educational programs and public access. In 2025, the reopened to visitors after sustaining smoke damage from the Palisades fire earlier that year, with expanded access to the studio for the first time. The related Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity announced plans in August 2025 to transform a midcentury building in , into a dedicated to the Eameses' artifacts and legacy, housing over 40,000 items. Her contributions have been enshrined in the design canon via extensive exhibits at the Vitra Design Museum in , which holds one of the world's largest collections of Eames works; notable shows include "Charles & Ray Eames: of " (2017–2018), which explored their multifaceted oeuvre, and ongoing displays that emphasize Ray's role in textiles, graphics, and furniture. Ray Eames's influence endures in contemporary , where her emphasis on multifunctional, accessible —blending playfulness with practicality—continues to inspire architects and product designers seeking human-centered solutions. For instance, modern practitioners from her textile patterns and modular systems to create versatile interiors that prioritize everyday usability without sacrificing elegance. However, critiques persist regarding her under-recognition as an independent voice; historical narratives often overshadowed her artistic training and contributions in and , attributing successes primarily to , a disparity increasingly addressed by feminist and exhibitions that highlight her distinct creative agency.

References

  1. [1]
    Charles & Ray Biography - Eames Office
    Charles & Ray Eames have been internationally recognized at the forefront of the design, architecture, filmmaking, and furniture communities.Missing: sources | Show results with:sources
  2. [2]
    The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention Biography
    Charles Eames (1907–78) and Ray Eames (1912–88) gave shape to America's twentieth century. Their lives and work represented the nation's defining movements.Missing: sources | Show results with:sources
  3. [3]
    Charles & Ray Biography - Eames Foundation
    Oct 23, 2025 · Learn about the lives of Charles and Ray Eames, their partnership, philosophy, and the ideas that continue to inspire the world.Missing: sources | Show results with:sources<|control11|><|separator|>
  4. [4]
    Ray Kaiser Eames | Pioneering Women of American Architecture
    Ray Eames (1912–88) was a leading American designer who worked in a variety of media including furniture, textiles, architecture, film, and toys.Missing: sources | Show results with:sources
  5. [5]
    Ray and Charles Eames - USModernist Archives
    Ray Eames was born in Sacramento CA to Alexander and Edna Burr Kaiser, and had a brother named Maurice. She spent her early childhood years with her parents ...
  6. [6]
    Before They Were the Eameses | Eames Institute
    was born in St. Louis in 1907 to Marie Celine Adele Pauline Lambert and Charles Ormond Eames, a Civil War veteran who worked as a Pinkerton detective and who ...
  7. [7]
    Oral history interview with Ray Eames, 1980 July 28-August 20
    The following oral history transcript is the result of a tape-recorded interview with Ray Kaiser Eames on July 28 & 31 and Auguest 20, 1980. The interview took ...
  8. [8]
    https://www.vitra.com/en-us/magazine/details/charles-and-ray-eames-they-are-one
  9. [9]
    Untitled, 1939 - Eames Institute
    This oval still life may be the last painting Ray made at the Hofmann School ... The oval shape is perhaps a reference to collage works by Pablo Picasso.
  10. [10]
    Charles Eames (1907–1978) and Ray Eames (1913–1988)
    Aug 1, 2007 · For more than four decades, American designers Charles and Ray Eames helped shape nearly every facet of American life. From their architecture, ...Missing: puppetry costume theater
  11. [11]
    Lucia Eames dies at 83; artist saved father's and stepmother's legacy
    Apr 10, 2014 · Lucia Eames, 83, died April 1 in a hospital in Santa Rosa, Calif., not far from her home in Petaluma. She suffered a stroke a few days before her death.Missing: Peter | Show results with:Peter
  12. [12]
    Charles and Ray Eames: The couple who shaped the way we live
    Dec 18, 2017 · He married his college sweetheart and had a daughter, but it was meeting two brilliant Finnish architects, father and son Eliel and Eero ...Missing: family background parents
  13. [13]
    https://www.vitra.com/en-ca/magazine/details/charles-and-ray-eames-they-are-one
  14. [14]
    ORGANIC DESIGN COMPETITION: SEATING AND CASE GOODS
    Best friends and fellow architects, Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen won the first-place prize in both seating and case goods in the 1941 Organic Design for ...
  15. [15]
    Organic Design in Home Furnishings - Exhibition - MoMA
    This exhibition introduced the world to Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames, who worked together as a team and won in both the chair design (with the iconic Organic ...
  16. [16]
    Eames Molded Plywood Design Story - Side Chair - Herman Miller
    In the early 1940s, when Charles Eames was working on MGM set designs, he and his wife, Ray, were experimenting with wood-molding techniques that would have ...Missing: initial | Show results with:initial
  17. [17]
    About Us - Eames Office
    In 1943, the Eames Office moved into a prominent new Venice location on 901 W. Washington Boulevard, famously known as '901'. Here, they investigated new molded ...
  18. [18]
    Kazam! Machine | Eames Foundation
    The Eameses journey to discover the most honest use of molded plywood took several years of trial and error, but the knowledge gained from the Kazam! machine ...
  19. [19]
    https://www.vitra.com/en-us/magazine/details/the-kazam-machine
  20. [20]
    Plywood During the War - Eames Institute
    Ray and Charles Eames turned their industrial design expertise in molded plywood towards the war effort in the 1940s, which later led them to create plywood ...
  21. [21]
    MOLDED PLYWOOD GROUP - Eames Foundation
    Charles and Ray co-designed the Eames leg splint, molded of plywood with the compound curves characteristic of what they then called the “Eames process ...Missing: collaborations 1940s
  22. [22]
    The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention Furniture
    During World War II, the Eameses and a group of inventive collaborators designed leg splints, aircraft parts, and stretchers made of molded plywood for the ...Missing: initial | Show results with:initial
  23. [23]
    Designed To Serve | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
    May 22, 2020 · ... Charles's molded plywood furniture in any large quantity.[5]. Dr. Scott's proposal to produce molded plywood splints gave the Eameses a path ...
  24. [24]
    Molded Plywood Leg Splint - Eames Office
    The molded plywood leg splint was created to address metal splint issues, conformed to the leg, and had holes for bandages. 150,000 were made.
  25. [25]
    LCW - Eames Office
    Charles and Ray co-designed the Eames Leg Splint, molded of plywood with the compound curves characteristic of what they then called the “Eames process,” which ...
  26. [26]
    Eames LCW chair - Designed by women
    The historically unacknowledged design partner of her husband, American artist Ray Eames has now been credited with full participation in the design of their ...Missing: ergonomics | Show results with:ergonomics
  27. [27]
    MOLDED PLASTIC ARMCHAIR - Eames Foundation
    With a full-size, three-dimensional example to test out, Charles and Ray were confident that fiberglass would be even better for their shell chairs. It was ...
  28. [28]
    Eames Elephant
    In 1945, while they experimented with molding plywood into compound curves, they designed a group of animals for children to sit on. Two prototypes of the ...Missing: multifunctional | Show results with:multifunctional
  29. [29]
    EAMES STORAGE UNITS (ESU) - Eames Foundation
    The Eames storage units (ESU) use an ingenious and inventive system of construction as simple and as openly engineered as a bridge.Missing: textiles adaptability
  30. [30]
    [PDF] Eames House Conservation Management Plan - Getty Museum
    The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) works internationally to advance conservation practice in the visual arts— broadly interpreted to include objects, ...Missing: scenic Playhouse
  31. [31]
    Case Study House #8 - Eames Office
    Case Study House #8 proposed a house for a married couple working in design and graphic arts whose children no longer lived at home.
  32. [32]
    The Eames House & Foundation
    Its materials, interior collections, and landscaping are maintained as they were during Charles and Ray's lifetimes; all three elements tell the story of ...Missing: details shelving plants
  33. [33]
    The Eames House | Visit a Modernist Landmark
    Visit the 1949 Eames House, the home, studio, and icon of modern design. Book a tour and experience the world of Charles and Ray Eames.Missing: Playhouse Theater
  34. [34]
    AD Classics: Eames House / Charles and Ray Eames | ArchDaily
    Jun 28, 2010 · Originally known as Case Study House No. 8, the Eames House was such a spatially pleasant modern residence that it became the home of the architects themselves.
  35. [35]
    Sea Things - Eames Office
    Although Sea Things did not win Ray any awards during jurying, the design was produced and marketed as a textile in 1950 by Schiffer, a textile division of ...
  36. [36]
    Dot Pattern - Eames Office
    30-day returnsCreated in 1947, the Dot Pattern has survived as the most recognized textile design by Ray Eames.
  37. [37]
    Product | Textiles | Dot Pattern 001 Document - Maharam
    Brief: Dot Pattern was designed by Charles and Ray Eames for a 1947 textile competition at the Museum of Modern Art. · Warranty: 3 years. See Terms and ...
  38. [38]
    Exploring the lesser-known graphic side of the iconic Eames ...
    Sep 12, 2012 · Addressing the Need: The Graphic Design of the Eames Office which opens at the PM Gallery tomorrow includes adverts, packaging, invitations, ...Missing: stationery | Show results with:stationery
  39. [39]
    Powers of Ten and the Relative Size of Things in the Universe | Eames Foundation
    ### Summary of Powers of Ten
  40. [40]
    Glimpses of the U.S.A. Film - Eames Office
    This film was the centerpiece of the American National Exhibition in Moscow for the 1959 USSR-USA cultural exchange, the first between the two countries ...Missing: typography | Show results with:typography
  41. [41]
    Designer Don Albinson dead at 86 - Metropolis Magazine
    Dec 1, 2008 · After Albinson's World War II service in the Army Air Corps, he joined the Eames Office in 1946 and became Eames' lead designer through 1959.Missing: Alberson | Show results with:Alberson
  42. [42]
    [PDF] Charles Eames and Ray Eames Papers
    Letters written by Ray Eames to her family and friends and a large collection of art, theater, music, and dance programs reveal her exposure to the cultural ...
  43. [43]
    Designers Charles and Ray Eames - Herman Miller
    Learn about the designers Charles and Ray Eames, creators of the world-renowned Eames lounge chair and molded plywood chairs.<|control11|><|separator|>
  44. [44]
    [PDF] The Soviet Pavilion at Brussels '58: - Wilson Center
    Oct 3, 2019 · Charles and Ray Eames' Glimpses of the USA shown at Brussels, consisting of over 2,200 still and moving images representing a typical work ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  45. [45]
    Mathematica: A World of Numbers . . . and Beyond - Eames Office
    The first fully immersive and large-scale exhibition produced by the Eames Office, designed for the March 1961 opening of a new science wing.
  46. [46]
    The 1964-65 New York World's Fair | IBM
    Exhibit designers Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen issued a joint statement that captured their mission and mandate. The objective “was to show that the ...
  47. [47]
    [PDF] The Interface IBM and the Transformation of Corporate Design 1945 ...
    ... film of images of computer parts and people poached from A Computer Landscape, and a “shelf-end,” which held a scale model of an IBM System/360 computer and ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  48. [48]
    House of Cards Collector's Edition - Eames Office
    In stock $13.10 deliveryCharles and Ray Eames designed the House of Cards in the 1950s. These picture card decks have become universal favorites with such fame and renown that they ...
  49. [49]
    Tour the Historic Sea Ranch Home of an Architect-Artist Couple
    Feb 13, 2023 · “You have some odd, amorphic shapes,” like the living room's sculptural, freeform wood chair and the laminated wood 1970s coffee table in ...Missing: Eames | Show results with:Eames
  50. [50]
    [PDF] Charles & Ray Eames, 1907-1978, 1912-1988 : pioneers of mid
    Only authentic Eames Furniture gives you the de- sign experience Charles and Ray Eames intended. Eames furniture is still made today under license.
  51. [51]
    Case Study House #8 - Eames Foundation
    Construction began in February 1949, and after 16 hours, the foundation and steel frame were complete. The remainder of the modular home was finished by ...
  52. [52]
    https://archpaper.com/2020/05/ray-eames-accepts-the-riba-royal-gold-medal-newly-resurrected-speech/
  53. [53]
    Ray Eames, 73; Member of Noted Design Team - Los Angeles Times
    Aug 23, 1988 · She is survived by a brother, Maurice, a daughter, Lucia Demetrios, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Advertisement.
  54. [54]
    Ray Eames, 72, a Founder of Firm That Designed the Eames Chair
    Aug 23, 1988 · She was 72 years old. As a professional partner of her husband, Charles, who died in 1978, Ray Eames collaborated in the design of hundreds of ...
  55. [55]
    https://www.design-museum.de/en/exhibitions/detailpages/charles-ray-eames-the-power-of-design.html
  56. [56]
    Charles and Ray Eames changed the landscape of design - Dezeen
    Oct 22, 2024 · It was with "just a few chairs and a house" that Charles and Ray Eames were able to profoundly impact the landscape of design.
  57. [57]
    Ray Eames, Out of Her Husband's Shadow - The New York Times
    May 15, 2020 · Ray Eames, Out of Her Husband's Shadow. The designer let her ... Pat Kirkham wrote in her 1995 book “Charles and Ray Eames: Designers ...Missing: family | Show results with:family
  58. [58]
    CHARLES AND RAY EAMES - 20th-CENTURY ARCHITECTURE
    BIOGRAPHY ; Charles and Ray Eames believed that good design was a means to better living. With their architecture, furniture design, films, and exhibitions, the ...