IT (Incidental Table)
1949
Produced from 1947 until 1957, this small table was described as a “miniature” in early Herman Miller catalogs. The official designation “IT” stood for “incidental table,” and it was marketed to serve a variety of as-needed uses: coffee table, side table, or even a play table for small children. The Eameses conceived of this kind of versatility as a means of engaging users, encouraging them to imaginatively determine how and where to put the table to use. This aspect of the design was enabled by the table’s light weight and folding leg construction, both of which made it easy to relocate and repurpose. The simple, bent metal hooks that hold the legs in place when extended were also used, at a slightly larger scale, for the DTM series of dining tables. Originally produced with wood tops, as seen in this example, the design was later issued in white or black Micarta, a composite material of plastic and fiber that made for easy cleaning.
- Manufacturer: Herman Miller, Inc.
- Medium:Birch plywood, steel with zinc coating
- Dimensions:17 3/4 x 21 1/2 x 18 in. (45.1 x 54.6 x 45.7 cm)
- Design Date:1947
- Item:2019.2.198
