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The Ever-Evolving Eames Aluminum Group

682 Lounge Chair with Arms

1958

The semi-sheer Saran textile used in this example of the Eames Aluminum Group lounge chair was a short-lived upholstery option for the model. The Saran options for the chairs initially included beige, blue, and gray colorways. Ray and Charles chose Saran because it had proven itself to be durable, stain-resistant, and easy to clean when used as automobile upholstery. It seems that despite initial assumptions, in the end Saran was not able to sustain the kind of tension applied by the design of the Eames Aluminum Group. Notably, the Eameses had worked with Saran just a few years prior to developing the Eames Aluminum Group, when they used it as a covering for the Quadraflex loudspeakers they designed for audio equipment company Stephens Trusonic Inc. in 1956.

  • Manufacturer: Herman Miller, Inc.
  • Medium:Saran, aluminum, steel, nylon
  • Dimensions:35 x 21 1/2 x 28 1/4 in. (88.9 x 54.6 x 71.8 cm)
  • Item:2019.4.1