Charles Eames, Ray Eames

The LCM (Lounge Chair Metal) was conceived by Eames, who, with his wife and professional partner, Ray, formed one of the most influential design teams of the twentieth century. First produced in 1946, the LCM and its companion, the DCM (Dining Chair Metal), met with great commercial success and have become icons of modern design. The LCM's molded–plywood seat and back sit on a chrome–plated steel frame, with rubber shock mounts in between. That the back and seat are separate pieces simplified production, while also providing visual interest.
Together with Eero Saarinen, Eames had first experimented with bent plywood for a group of prize–winning designs they submitted to the 1940 competition "Organic Design in Home Furnishings," organized by The Museum of Modern Art. These, however, proved difficult to manufacture, and most were upholstered for comfort. Intent on producing high–quality objects at economical manufacturing costs, the Eameses devoted the better part of the next five years to refining the technique of molding plywood to create thin shells with compound curves. The chair was initially manufactured by the Evans Products Company; in 1949 Herman Miller Inc. bought the rights to produce it.