Charles Eames

Charles Eames was born in 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri. After leaving Washington University’s architecture program, he began designing homes and churches in the St. Louis area before joining the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1938. There, he collaborated with Eliel and Eero Saarinen on a molded plywood chair that won MoMA’s Organic Design competition. He moved to Los Angeles shortly after and, during World War II, developed molded plywood leg splints for the military. These early projects set the foundation for a lifelong approach to design that combined material innovation, practicality, and a deep commitment to improving everyday life.

Kaiser and Eames each developed a strong creative identity before coming together as partners. Their aligned philosophies and varied talents laid the groundwork for a lifelong collaboration dedicated to meaningful, accessible design. In 1947, they opened the Eames Office in Venice, California. For the next forty years, the studio became a space for experimentation across design, architecture, furniture, film, graphics, and exhibitions. Eames often focused on structure, process, and systems, while Kaiser brought a painter’s understanding of color, scale, and composition. Her eye gave shape to their work, making it visually balanced, generous, and full of small, intentional details. Together, they made things that were thoughtful, useful, and accessible.

Their projects were wide-ranging. They designed furniture like the Eames Lounge Chair, molded plywood chairs, and fiberglass seating systems that are still in production today. They made films on everything from spinning tops to the scale of the universe. They produced exhibitions including Mathematica, the IBM Pavilion, and The World of Franklin and Jefferson. Their house in Pacific Palisades brought together industrial materials and personal objects, blending clarity with warmth. They also made toys, tools for learning, and visual materials that translated complex ideas into simple, engaging forms.

Their exhibition work extended over decades and often involved deep research and multi-media formats. In addition to Mathematica (1961), they designed A Computer Perspective (1971), and The World of Franklin and Jefferson (1975), which opened in Paris and toured internationally. 

After Eames’ death in 1978, Kaiser spent her remaining years organizing and preserving their archive. Kaiser passed away in 1988, and her efforts ensured that their work would be accessible to future generations. In 2004, their daughter Lucia Eames founded the Eames Foundation to maintain their home and legacy. The Eames Office continues to operate today.