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CHARLES EAMES (U.S., 1907–1978) & RAY EAMES (U.S., 1912–1988). "Lounge Chair & Ottoman," designed in 1956. Produced in the 1970s–1980s. Manufactured by Herman Miller. Certificate of authenticity included. Measurements: The “Lounge” chair and ottoman set, made of molded wood with leather upholstery, was designed by Charles and Ray Eames. An icon of 20th-century design, these pieces are part of major collections such as that of MoMA in New York. Vitra has been manufacturing the Charles and Ray Eames Lounge Chair using the same production methods since the 1950s. Charles and Ray Eames, a married couple and artistic partners, worked in the fields of industrial and graphic design, the fine arts, and film, and are responsible for numerous designs that have become 20th-century classics. Charles Eames studied architecture for two years at the University of Washington, then began his career working at a firm on residential housing projects. In 1938, he moved to Cranbrook, Michigan, to continue studying architecture and design at the city’s Academy of Art. He would eventually teach there, heading the industrial design department. Together with Eero Saarinen—the son of his mentor Eliel Saarinen—he designed the trophy for the Organic Design Award, presented by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1941, after divorcing his first wife, he married his colleague at Cranbrook, Ray Kaiser. Together they settled in Los Angeles, where they would remain for the rest of their lives. In the late 1940s, Ray and Charles designed their home together, known as the “Eames House,” which is today considered a masterpiece of modern architecture. In the 1950s, the couple continued to work in architecture and furniture design, pioneering the use of new techniques and materials such as fiberglass and plastic resin in the manufacture of chairs. Their work is currently represented at the Design Museum in London and the MoMA in New York, among many other institutions.