2501 Table

While much of the early Eames furniture was intended for use in domestic settings, as Herman Miller (and international partners like Vitra) shifted their business toward the contract market, their designs became increasingly favored for institutional and public settings. This is a custom-built version of a table in the 2500 series, a group of more than 20 work and conference tables that were introduced in 1961. It features a solid teak tabletop that distinguishes it from the production models, which were available from Herman Miller in white, grey, or walnut-colored plastic laminate with dark grey vinyl edges. Their bases are similar to the single-pedestal Contract Base used for the Contract Base Tables. The Contract Base Tables, however, all had either square or circular tops, and modifications had to be made to accommodate the 2500 series’ longer rectangular forms. The solution was to use a base made of two columns, each with two-footed prongs and connected by a steel crossbeam for stability. This design had the benefit, as explained in a 1964 Herman Miller catalog, of providing “sufficient overhang to allow seating completely around the perimeter of the table without interference from the base,” thus maximizing the number of people who could gather around it. Despite its advantages, the 2500 series was not a large commercial success and was only in production for a few years.