A multifunctional side table from HERMAN MILLER. Portable and lightweight, yet sturdy and durable, this is the authentic ‘LTR’ Eames Wire Base Low Table. Designed in 1950, the chromed-steel base was the product of experimentation to develop supports for the Eames fiberglass chairs. Underneath the black laminate surface, the beveled edges of the top expose a seven-ply Baltic birch core. The scaled-down profile is ideal for tight spaces.

CHARLES (1907–1978) & RAY (1912–1988) EAMES were a married team of American industrial designers. Their creativity and drive helped shape the trajectory of the 20^th century in the US. The lives of the couple, as well as their work, represent many of the seminal developments of the post-war period: the West Coast’s coming of age, the shift away from manufacturing toward the production of information, and the expanding global reach of American culture.

The Eameses saw modern design as an agent of social change. Their evolution from furniture designers into cultural ambassadors spoke not only to their boundless talent but also to the overlap between their interests and America’s national agenda. In an era of uniquely shared objectives, the Eameses partnered with both the federal government and top businesses to spearhead commercial modernization.

Begun in the late 1940s, the partnership between the Eameses and the manufacturer HERMAN MILLER would evolve into what is probably the most legendary collaboration in the history of modern furniture. The extensive range of designs that were produced serves as a testament to this fact.

Whoever said that pleasure wasn't functional? – CHARLES & RAY EAMES

HERMAN MILLER was founded in 1905 as the Star Furniture Co. in Zeeland, a town near Grand Rapids in western Michigan. Zeeland had been settled primarily by Dutch immigrants, many of whom had brought with them legacy skills in the crafting of fine furniture. By 1900, Grand Rapids and environs had become a hub for its production.

In 1919, Star Furniture was renamed the Michigan Star Furniture Co., and Dirk Jan “DJ” DePree (1891-1990), originally hired as a clerk, became its new president. Along with a small group of local businessmen, DePree and his father-in-law, Herman Miller, purchased 51% of the company in 1923 and rechristened it HERMAN MILLER.

The company had historically been a manufacturer of high-end, traditional-style home furnishings based on modified European designs. With the arrival of the Great Depression, DePree was forced to consider new products to survive in a shrinking market. In 1931, he was approached by the industrial designer Gilbert Rohde (1894-1944), who reportedly entered the showroom unannounced. DePree listened to Rohde’s ideas and, attracted by his straightforward approach, hired him to design a new line of furniture. Rohde speculated that the decreasing size of modern homes would inspire a demand for a smaller, simpler, and lighter furniture style that DePree referred to as “more honest” than that of traditional pieces. So began the transformation of HERMAN MILLER into the modern furniture juggernaut it would become.

HERMAN MILLER debuted its new line at the Century of Progress exposition in Chicago. In 1941, the company opened showrooms in Chicago and New York City. Under Rohde’s supervision, HERMAN MILLER entered the office furniture market in 1942 with the introduction of the modular Executive Office Group (EOG).

Rohde died in 1944 and was replaced by architect George Nelson (1908-1986), who joined the firm as its director of design in 1945. Nelson was to have enormous influence upon HERMAN MILLER, not only for his personal design contributions, but also for the talented designers he recruited to its ranks—Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), Charles (1907–1978) & Ray (1912–1988) Eames, Robert Propst (1921–2000), and textile designer Alexander Girard (1907–1993). HERMAN MILLER was incorporated in 1960 and is in business to this day as one of the top producers of office furniture in the world.

DETAILS

Designer – CHARLES & RAY EAMES

Design Period/Year – 1950

Maker – HERMAN MILLER

Production Period/Year – 1990s

Origin – USA

Styles/Movements – MID-CENTURY MODERN

Materials – BIRCH, LAMINATE, STEEL

Colors – BLACK, CHROME, TAN

Condition – Excellent vintage condition. May show minor signs of previous ownership and use.

Dimensions – 15 ½" W × 13" D × 10" H