H is for Historic House
An assignment in looking deeply at historic house museums. Give yourself this opportunity to learn about a new (to you) place, discover the identities of the people associated with it, and feel like you are contributing to the longevity of its history.
In a Circus Ring with Saul Steinberg
A glimpse of the friendship between Charles and Ray Eames, Saul Steinberg, and Hedda Sterne while revealing that some of their inspiration was derived from the attitudes of the circus.
Charles and Ray Eames Biography
Immediately following their marriage in June of 1941, Charles and Ray optimistically moved to Los Angeles, bursting with exuberance for one another and their potential future in the arts and design.
Eames Office Archives
Charles and Ray Eames, alongside the Eames Office staff, photographed and developed hundreds of thousands of images over a period of decades. The Eameses used photography to document and reconfigure a project as it progressed or to formulate and express ideas. Today, we extend the Eames legacy by carefully archiving and digitizing these historic photographs.
The Eames Office Design Process
For decades within the Eames Office, knowledge and experience continuously built upon previous projects, materials were seen for their inherent worth, and iteration honed all ideas into practical forms. “901,” the Eames Office’s workspace, further enabled the iterative, hands-on design process of Charles, Ray, and their staff.
Eames Archives: Interwoven Lives
Eames Archives: An Image as an Idea is a blog series written with the intention of sharing rarely-viewed images from the Eames Office archive and narratives attached to them.
The Materials of the Eames House
Charles and Ray Eames set out to design and build the Eames House by utilizing materials in an “honest” manner. Here is a list of the most vital Eames House parts, including their original war-time intent and why Charles and Ray wanted the house to be respectful and representative of the innate qualities of its materials.
“Life in a Chinese Kite”
We’re reaching for the September 1950 issue of Architectural Forum, The Magazine of Building to uncover why a life spent at the Eames House was described as living "in a Chinese kite.”
A Post-War Solution for Life and Work
The Eames House is an internationally-recognized historic structure that served as Charles and Ray's primary residence for much of their lives. Discover how the Eameses secured their beloved meadow and constructed a home suited for life and work.
Eames and the Strathmore Apartments
How did Charles and Ray's first home together add to the richness of their lives?
Meet the De Pree House: Michigan’s Eames House
Max De Pree, the son of Herman Miller’s founder D.J. De Pree, commissioned Charles and Ray Eames to design a home for himself, his wife Esther, and their two young children in Zeeland, Michigan.
The Importance of Landmark Status
It was important that the Eames House remain intact with the highest historic integrity (building materials, collections inside and surrounding the structure, and the 1.4 acre landscaping in Pacific Palisades, California) with the hopes of sharing the legacy of Charles and Ray with the public for the foreseeable future. The Eames House received its designation as a National Historic Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service in September 2006.