Browsing through the paper yesterday, I saw a still from the new Adam Sandler movie, Click and thought to myself, those arms on the chair look familiar. So I hopped onto Adam Sandler's website and wouldn't you know it, that's an Eames chair he's sitting on! Wondering what the hell I'm blabbering about? Check out these two shots, one and two. Even Mr. Sandler can't tarnish the regal image of the chair. Yes I do believe it's more fitting than a throne for today's royalty.
Call me a fanboy but I'm absolutely enthralled with the Eames Lounge Chair. I'm not as crazy as some, but I'm getting there. This year marks its 50th anniversary and to celebrate, a wonderful (but in my eyes incomplete) book has been published titled, The Eames Lounge Chair: An Icon of Modern Design. Though it offers plenty of insight into the cultural, social and historical influences of the chair, it is also missing a lot of information that is currently being presented at the Museum of Art and Design. So should you happen to be in NYC prior to September 3rd, I suggest stopping by and oggling the brilliant installation displayed in the photo, watch two informative videos (a PR piece from the 50s and a more contemporary piece on its fabrication) and check out where the chair has popped up in throughout the last 50 years. The Nature Transformed wood exhibition is also interesting and well worth the time. And if you are going to be in the area anyway, why not make it a full day affair and spend some time at the MoMA?
Last but not least, Shelly and Mary Klein of k studio created this great looking fabric/pattern in the process of whipping up this ridiculously awesome variant of the Eames lounge chair for this year's ICFF. I wonder if they have some nice desktop wallpaper shots of that chair.
1. Its a funny thing that you should mention that the arms looked familiar as an Eames lounge - because it is, in face, the arms that give the chair away...as a fake! When Herman Miller brought out the Eames 670 Lounge chair many imitators/reproductions sprang up. Unlike current forgeries of the chairs the vintage copies had several clues that would give them away.
1st - the Base. Many copies had shiny chrome bases with 4 feet, instead of the cast aluminum 5 pointed base of the authentic. Also - lots of copies have tilt mechanisms - the 670 only swivels... it does not tilt.
2nd - the Scale. The 670 is actually a very small chair - the top of the headrest measures in at about 33 inches. My repro lounge is 42 inches - with the extra height being in the middle section - between the seat and the headrest.
3rd - Screws. The original is held together with a complex series of metal clips (to hold the cushions) and rubber shockmounts (to hold the back to the seat). Almost all vintage fakes have screws through the plywood.
4th - Armrests. The authentic 670 has thickly upholstered armrests with a double welt (piping) Almost all the fakes (until recently) have settled for a piece of leather (or vinyl) wrapped and stapled under the plywood - a simple solution to an otherwise complex sewing job.
Now, dont get me wrong, I love my repro and will most likely never be able to afford the authentic deal - It is a kickass chair (altho not as neat as the earliest plywood chairs...IMHO) and well deserves its place in history.
Posted at 9:12PM on Jul 26th 2006 by Eames Crazy