Eames Shells again  

If no one
else has the word, maybe the guy who specializes in repair of Eames/Miller -- what is his name. . .?

here is the link...
I heard that when Herman Miller was in a hurry to fill orders, sometimes the embossed emblem was left out. Who knows?
http://www.eamescollector.com/

funny theory
James, thats a funny theory - altho logically it doesnt make much sense, as the embossed M was part of the shell mould and would be embossed during the creation of the shell.
I've heard various stories about label issues. I know early Zenith versions of the chair dont have the M embossed, and they have a square checkerboard logo. Did Zenith also make sidechairs?
Also - sometimes you will see a chair with a medallion logo (in addition to the patent label, M logo, maker's mark, and serial number) It is my understanding that this medallion was affixed to chairs intended for institutional usage: schools, universities etc.
There seems to be a dearth of detailed chronological information about the production history of these chairs beyond the basics. Most resources have start date and a brief mention of Zenith. Eames Collector has somewhat more detailed information - but far from complete.

It was either...
It was either the Eames collector or the Eames office that told me the embossed emblem was left out. All the shells that are without it seem to be from the late 50's, mine is 1957. I figured the embossed emblem was in the mold, maybe they contracted out and their molds didn't have the logo.
I have a small book by Neenah Paper(makes paper with Eames designs) called Modern Classic and it's about the fiberglass chairs. It tells everything possible from the history to the slightest variation, of couse it doesn't mention our issue here.

James
Do you have an ISBN number for that book?
I emailed Herman Miller asking about the missing M logo. The chairs are parchement colored, and the color is somewhat translucent making me think they are older rather than newer. It can take up to a few weeks to hear back from HM so I'll keep people updated when I get the new info.

Nevermind the ISBN
Neenah is sending it out free of charge. Im very excited since there isnt a lot of information about the history of the chairs.

Great
It's a nice book, you'll like it.

In case anyone is interested
I just called Neenah and got one free for a friend. If anyone is interested call Neenah (1-888-558-5061) and tell them you want the Eames sample paper book "Modern Classic". It's worth the call.

eames shell... I have one too...
I also have a parchment colored eames chair which doesn't have a stamp or any logo on the bottom. I'm assuming it's the real deal, but I could be wrong. It has a rocker base on it.

Dr. Pepper
Is it an arm chair or a side chair? Are there any other markings along the bottom? Are the shockmounts large (2.5-3") or smaller?

Accoring to Herman Miller
According to an email from Herman Miller:
In the early years no logos were put on the Eames chairs. About 1953 the chairs had just the logo. After about 1955 -1956 the chairs had both the logo and the Herman Miller name stamped on them.
Some slight conflicts in that statement - as James says his chair is from 1957. And mine are stacking bases, which were released in 1955 - both after the chairs were stamped.

Herman Miller info
Something I learned, the Herman Miller people really don't know much. I just called with a Sofa Compact question and was given wrong information. I got confirmation from the Eames office that I had an authentic Hermam Miller, I sent them pictures via email and got a long and detailed response.
Is there any other marking on the shell(like double triangles)? Also the shockmount configuration, Herman miller bases won't fit vintage fake Shells. I've seen other shells from my 1957 era that don't have the embossed eblem, but do have the sticker and date stamp.

My shell chair...
Mine is a side shell. It has no markings on the bottom whatsoever. I'll try posting some pics I have of it in a little bit, and I'll try to get better pics of the bottom in a couple of days.

chair pics...