Harry Bertoia vs. Charles Eames  

MCM? Easy...
According to the dictionary Modern is defined as: Of or pertaining to the current time. I dont believe MCM was originally dubbed such - I think it was just referred to as Modernism. However, as styles began to change and shift towards the pop culture style of the 60's and 70's people needed a moniker to described Modernism without confusing it with the then modern pop movement. Since the Modernist movement took place at the end of WWII and through the 50's it litterally existed in the middle of the century: Mid Century Modern became the overarching category. Its not entirely accurate tho, as people like Mies and Breuer are more often categorized as Bauhaus or International style, and people like Panton are edging more towards the Warhol/pop culture.

Postmodernism - Not so easy
Okay...I'm having an amatuer go at this:
Postmodernism is a very broad, overarching term that is almost indefinable by definition. It came about after the modern movement in the earlier party of the century - not only in furniture, but in art, music, architecture & literature. Modernism was thought to be a forthright, earnest expression. Postmodernism, by contrast, is characterized by the belief that nothing new can be created, therefore everything created is either a replica of something past, or some current interpretation/parody/pastiche of things past. It is often, as Whitespike noted, sarcastic, ironic, mocking. A recent Simpsons episode featured Bart's toy- the PopCulture Talking Krusty the Clown doll. To quote el Barto: "Ahhh....references"
(somewhere my art history professor is reading this..and probably weeping)

lucifersum
Thanks for your excellent recap about mid-century modern That totally makes sence to me .
The reporter asked me how i would define my home and I said POP 60's I have several differnt chairs by Verner Panton Lots of chrome lamps by Panton and Robert Sonnoman Agelieer (ARCO) and Pal Henningson
I have 4 chairs by Arne Jacobson Swans and Eggs. although both made in 1958 they really started poping up in the 60's . Mix them with the mid-century of Nelson, Eames, Mies, Carbo they all get along very
nicely....

Bertoia and Saarinen on the Plywood Splint
Back to the original topic, I found this interesting blurb about Harry Bertoia and Eero Saarinen working on the plywood splint:
"(Bertoia) Opening his own metal workshop in 1939 he taught jewelry design and metal work. Later, as the war effort made metal a rare and very expensive commodity he began to focus his efforts on jewelry making, even designing and creating wedding rings for Charles and Ray Eames and Edmund Bacon's wife Ruth. Later in 1943, he married Brigitta Valentiner, and moved to California to work with Charles and Ray for the Evans Product Company. Evans provided technical work for airplane and medical equipment. Bertoia was also drawing training manuals. At this point they began to experiment with molded plywood under the auspices of their Plyformed Products Company, which was later bought out by Evans. With Eero Saarinen they developed a method for making molded plywood splints that would later evolve into processes for designing furniture. Bertoia remained as part of their staff, working on a variety of projects. Three years later he split with the Eames, concerned that his work was not receiving due credit, and preferring to work with metal rather than wood. In the same year he finally became a US citizen."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Bertoia