The Property of Doris Nolan Knox
The following eight lots were acquired directly from Charles Eames prior to the vendor's move from California in 1951. Doris Knox and her late husband, Alexander, both celebrated stage and screen performers, were personal friends of the Eameses and remained in close contact long after their move. The ninth lot, a pair of grey shell chairs, was given to the Knoxs by Charles whilst visiting England to lecture at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A photograph by Herbert Matter of Doris Knox seated on a prototype tilt-back chair is illustrated, Eames Design, Neuhart, Thames and Hudson, 1989, p.71
A lacewood lounge chair, LCW
Details
A lacewood lounge chair, LCW
designed by Charles Eames, 1945 for Evans Products Co., moulded and laminated satinbirch back and seat, on similar spine
and legs
This early example of an LCW makes use of the cycle-welded shock-mount system to affix the back to the spine. Later production examples employed a screw-attached shock-mount for greater durability. The spine used for this variant terminates squarely as opposed to the more rounded end seen on the production screw-attached shock-mount examples of this chair.There are other subtle differences to the later LCWs; this chair sits slightly lower,lacks the metal glides to the underside of the legs,uses a thin sheet of rubber to insulate the rear legs, and employs commercial steel bolts to secure the seat, rather than the familiar aluminium bolts.The choice of highly decorative lacewood is very unusual, Charles and Ray Eames were known to have experimented with a variety of exotic woods before selecting ash, birch, rosewood and walnut for the production models.
LCW's of this type were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art Exhibition Designed for Use of 1946
Cf. Eames Design, Neuhart, Thames and Hudson, 1989, pp. 69 and 73 for examples of comparable chairs illustrated
designed by Charles Eames, 1945 for Evans Products Co., moulded and laminated satinbirch back and seat, on similar spine
and legs
This early example of an LCW makes use of the cycle-welded shock-mount system to affix the back to the spine. Later production examples employed a screw-attached shock-mount for greater durability. The spine used for this variant terminates squarely as opposed to the more rounded end seen on the production screw-attached shock-mount examples of this chair.There are other subtle differences to the later LCWs; this chair sits slightly lower,lacks the metal glides to the underside of the legs,uses a thin sheet of rubber to insulate the rear legs, and employs commercial steel bolts to secure the seat, rather than the familiar aluminium bolts.The choice of highly decorative lacewood is very unusual, Charles and Ray Eames were known to have experimented with a variety of exotic woods before selecting ash, birch, rosewood and walnut for the production models.
LCW's of this type were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art Exhibition Designed for Use of 1946
Cf. Eames Design, Neuhart, Thames and Hudson, 1989, pp. 69 and 73 for examples of comparable chairs illustrated