The epitome of Modernist style and luxurious comfort, Charles and Ray Eames's leather-upholstered rosewood-veneered chair and matching ottoman-launched in 1956 and in continuous production since then-is a design classic of the twentieth century. This book, which celebrates the Lounge Chair's fiftieth anniversary, is the first in-depth study of one of the most revered pieces of American furniture, and its equally revered creators.

The Eames Lounge Chair explores the design in detail, shedding new light on its development and construction, and on the role played by Ray Eames in its genesis. In Situating the Lounge Chair in its cultural, social, and historical contexts, the book reveals its provocative positioning in relation to Modernism and the trajectory of twentieth-century design, through its inspired combination of traditional and modern materials, mechanical production, and hand-finishing. The personal and professional recollections of those who knew Charles and Ray Eames confirm the Lounge Chair's enduring appeal and powerful presence, from its arrival-to critical- in the mid-1950s, when it promised a more comfortable life to postwar Americans, to its latterday appearance in fiction and film as icon of “Mid-Century Modern” design-and a Key indicator of design awareness.

With more than two hundred illustrations, including a superb photographic essay and previously unpublished drawings, film stills, and personal correspondence, this book is the definitive survey of the Lounge Chair and a tribute to its remarkable creators, who, above all, “took their pleasures seriousl.” The Eames Lounge Chair is essential reading for anyone interested in Modernist design.

Martin Eidelberg is professor emeritus of art history at Rutgers University , New Brunswick , New Jersey .

Thomas Hine is a social, cultural, and design historian and critic.

Pat Kirkham is professor of design history at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture, new York .

David Hanks is curator of the Stewart Program for Modern Design, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Design, and Engineering Collections, Prints and Photographs Division, at the library of Congress, Washington, D. C.