There seems to be a lot of...
There seems to be a lot of misinformation around the exact production dates of the plastic chairs. Some sources say that the plastic armchair was made my Zenith between 1948-50, others 1949-51 and others even 1950-1952. I think it's safe to say that Zenith produced these chairs at least until 1953 or even 1954. It is strange that there aren't a definite date line available for such a successful product... Maybe that is something for the DA community to work on.
I don't have the Neuhart book, but I do have lots of old magazines...
To me it seems that the plastic armchair was distributed beginning from 1950, then the wire side chair was introduced in the beginning of 1952 and finally the plastic side chair in 1953.
The first image I have found of the plastic side chair is from a Herman Miller ad in Interiors Magazine from October 1953, where it's advertised as the 'NEW molded plastic side chair'. I admit that I miss a few issues from early 1953, so it's possible this is not the very first ad for the chair, even though it does give that impression. The same ad also introduces the upholstered version of the arm chair version.
Like the_beloved states, Zenith did produce the side chairs at the beginning. I have seen the side shell with the early x-base several times and I'm pretty sure that I have seen the 'Zenith' stamp on some of them.
I also have an armshell with the embossed 'Z' in a triangle of three dots, with the small shock mounts, which also confirms that Zenith still produced the plastic chairs, when the use of the large shock mounts were abandoned...
zenith side shells....
perhaps what the dear reader meant was zenith never produced a side shell with rope edge and early "grainy" fibers.
people often use the term "zenith" to describe a shell with both of the above traits, and to my knowledge the side shell came after the rope edge era.
Eames Shell Logo Help Please
I have two Eames fiberglass shell chairs one a chair one a lounge. The undersides have numbers and a logo I do not know. I believe these are quite old from the early 50's. My Dad hired Charles and Ray to work for him on a project at IBM so they may be from that time..? Any help? How can I post an image to you?
Thanks Tom
Zenith sideshells
Zenith plastics did in fact produce the earliest sideshells. I believe they were produced at the same time Zenith was making the "transitional" armshells (those without the rope edge, but the same fiberglass and large shock mounts). They do not have the raised HM logo and the colors and translucency are the same as the armshells and there are differences in the shock mounts from later sideshells. The shock mounts are not large like the armshell, in fact I wonder if it was not the development of the smaller shock mount for the side shell that made HM realize that they could get by with the smaller shock mount for both versions. We have two Zenith sideshells, one parchment on an X base and one lemon yellow on an H base. I'll take photos and post them ASAP.
Sol also
Sol also was the one who developed the integrated plastic shell/shockmounts on the EC127 in 1971. (the same type of attachments now used on the Vitra polyprope chairs)
And he also erroneously attributed a 'prototype' shell chair for Wright20 auctions, which sold for $20,000. (the chair was, in fact, a Canadian vintage knock-off)
So...I'm sure Sol has plenty of haters.
Sol FIngerhut
Sol is the engineer who figured out how to actually manufacture the chair. He pioneered the process of molding a fiberglass in a press so it can be thin and smooth on both sides. As far as I know he is the first person to achieve this in mass production. The chair was Eames' design and idea, but Sol made it a reality.
well again,
to quote the book Charles and Ray Eames (Kirkham, Eames, page 234):
"Zenith Plastics (now Century Plastics) of Gardena, California, which had used fiberglass during the war, worked in conjunction with the Eameses and with Herman Miller Furniture Company on the new project"
This book was co-written with the Eames. Maybe it was a mistake? It doesn't matter, as it doesn't change the fact that Sol is the center of it all.
?
Are you referring to this one:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1221559331.html
It is difficult to see the stamp / logo.
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