Chapter 1
Molding the future with plywood
Chapter 2
Living in a glass box
Chapter 3
The ultimate icons of comfort
Chapter 4
Beyond furniture with films and toys
Ch 1 · Molding the future with plywood
Fun Fact
The Kazam Machine: In their bedroom, Charles and Ray Eames molded plywood using a bicycle pump to inflate a balloon, pressing the wood into iconic chairs.
Quiz
What was the main technical problem Charles and Ray faced when trying to mold a single piece of plywood?
torito The US Navy commissioned the Eameses to design lightweight plywood leg splints during World War II, funding their material research.
Quiz
In which city did Charles and Ray Eames set up their first apartment and experimental workshop?
Quiz
Which publication named the Eames Molded Plywood Chair the "Design of the Century" in 1999?
torito Eames Molded Plywood
Molding plywood's soft flow, Charles and Ray found a way, To curve perfect comfort, Still iconic today.
torito The Eames Molded Plywood Chair (LCW) debuted in 1946, becoming an instant icon and later named the century's best design.
Quiz
What did Charles and Ray Eames use to heat their very first plywood experiments before building their machine?
Quiz
What nickname did Charles and Ray Eames give to their homemade wood-pressing machine?
Fun Fact
Plywood splints: The Eameses used their apartment's oven to bake their very first experimental plywood splints before building their custom Kazam! machine.
Quiz
Which branch of the US military commissioned the Eameses to design plywood leg splints in 1942?
Quiz
What material did the Eameses use to connect the separate plywood seat and back pieces of their chairs?
Glossary
plywood (noun)
A strong structural material made of thin layers of wood veneer glued and pressed together. In 1941, Charles and Ray Eames built a homemade machine to mold plywood into complex curves.
A strong structural material made of thin layers of wood veneer glued and pressed together. In 1941, Charles and Ray Eames built a homemade machine to mold plywood into complex curves.