Charles et Ray Eames

In 1925, Charles Eames began studying architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.in 1929, he visited Europe and discovered Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier.in 1930 he opened an architectural practice in St. Louis. In 1938, at the invitation of Eliel Saarinen, he came to study architecture (Architecture and Urban Planning Program) at the Academy of Arts in Cranbrook, Michigan, where he quickly became a professor of industrial design. It was at this university that he met Ray Kaiser, a painting student, who assisted him in his work, before becoming his wife in 1941. In 1942, during the Second World War, they were subsidised by the US Navy for their technical advances in plywood. In 1946, Herman Miller believed in them and bought the distribution rights to their creations. In 1949, the couple exhibited their famous Pacific Palisades house in Los Angeles, California, which became a benchmark for prefabricated houses. In 1956, Charles Eames released the Eames Lounge Chair, which revolutionised the lounge chair: it was to be his greatest success.Today, the Lounge Chair is still in production by the companies Vitra and Herman Miller. Since its launch, the chair has sold over six million units worldwide.