Asking about originality of Eames Lounge Chair

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builder (AUS)

(@builder-aus)

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10/07/2007 4:53 am

Hi, i found 2 different version of original Eames lounge chairs, both with Herman Miller label, but they have different bases, can anyone tell me what is going on?
Thanks
PS: see the other pic from 2nd link

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builder (AUS)

(@builder-aus)

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Joined: 14 years ago

Posts: 173

10/07/2007 4:55 am

2nd pic
Thanks
2nd pic
Thanks

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LRF

(@lrf)

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Posts: 2967

10/07/2007 6:02 am

Hi we had this discussion l...
Hi we had this discussion last month you might check the the archives but several came to the conclusion that the one with the stand up feet is made by Herman Miller in America and the one with the flat feet is made by Vitra in Europe . No one had any idea why the two were different , Some one did come up with a label made by another company in Britain that had a license from Hermna miller in the 60's with a name that I forgot, The label was shared by both
makers,

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James-2

(@james-2)

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10/07/2007 10:31 am

Vitra
The Vitra(first picture) version has the base similiar to the Aluminum Group. I like the USA version better, the Vitra base looks cheapie to me.

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glassartist

(@glassartist)

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10/07/2007 10:49 am

makers
ive done a bit of research on this - they are both eames miller chairs. hille in england and icf in italy both produced these chairs and i have seen examples of each with herman miller labels. i have seen this eurpoean base in books as early as 1958. so it seems that this is as "correct" as the american base. why did they make them different? i could only speculate. i dont know when hille stopped making them and apparently icf lost naming rights to vitra some time ago but continues to make this chair simply labeled icf without the herman millier part. i have one of these.

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LRF

(@lrf)

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11/07/2007 4:43 am

I like the Vitra aluminum ...
I like the Vitra aluminum group base also... but here in the USA it would almost be sac religious to have that one in your home . I cannot figure out why they would even attempt to make two different bases for such a coveted icon, We have already discussed Eames and the Vitra Relationship but I just wonder why he would allow that base to be on both chairs and to be acceptable on both sides of the Ocean.
For years products started in America and shipped what we call overseas had to have parts made in the respective countries to carry the made in country maybe those base were made in Europe while other parts were made in the USA. and that was there way to show it .

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James-2

(@james-2)

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11/07/2007 1:34 pm

Does anyone know..
Was the Vitra base ever sold in the USA? I check the old photos from Herman Miller "Discovering Design" online museum and they all the the current USA bases. I wonder if the older USA Alumiunum Group ever had a 5 star base like the non-USA lounge chairs.
http://www2.hermanmiller.com/discoveringdesign/

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