I just bought a set of 4 herman miller fiberglass chairs on eiffel base, all looks original and the base seems to always have been on, no mark or other mounting.
There is a Z between the rear shock mount, a B at the front and only the Logo stamped.
what year and which company made them?
I cant identify the color, it looks ochre or dark parchment to me...
would you restore them or leave them like this, the fiber looks great tho, base dont have much rust, no repair and no broken barres...
I just needs to replace few glides...
thanx for your help
I'd like top post image but doent know how to do...
side shell or arm shell?
either way, your chairs are possibly 3rd generation Zenith plastics chairs and dates could range anywhere from around 1955-56. It gets hard to narrow it down more than that. And not having a photo makes this just a general guess.
There are different kinds of "Zs". Is this a small embossed "backwards S" type Z in the middle of 3 dots? Or is it a larger normal Z that is stamped?
My guess at the dates is probably the same either way.
Also, I am assuming that the shock mounts are the smaller variety.
But if the shells are arm shells, and happen to be the larger 2.5" mounts that are (which are usually associated with the 2nd generation Zenith shells) then you would be on the very early side of that range,or possibly a year or two earlier.
1957-59
If the bases and white plastic glides seem original to the chair (check the shock mount impressions) then the chairs have to be 1957 or later. That is when the plastic glides were first introduced. Since there is only the big embossed logo and no HERMAN MILLER spelled out, it is probably no later than '59 or so. The spelled out name started in around 1960. So 1957-59 is my best guess.
I am going mostly by the paper label, big H embossment, and plastic glides. The Z and B are not the ones I expected, and I am less certain about them than I am about the other indicators.
The shells look to be in good shape for the most part. I wouldn't do anything drastic. You can give them a pretty good cleaning without harming the shine. And they will still be original. Just my opinion of course.
They seem to have aged nicely, and the bases look great!
ebay
if you type in "Eames glides" on ebay you will see some choices of new or used plastic glides. Look for "eiffel base" glides to match yours. "Modern Conscience" is one online store that has parts.
Hard to say what the color is from these photos, as the overall color of the photo has a greenish tone. Possibly "lemon yellow", "pale yellow", or "ochre light", or even "greige". It is difficult to say. You can look up Eames chair color charts to see what comes closest.
Cleaning-- Mild soap and warm water is a safe place to start, but you can also use stronger cleaners like "409" or "Fantastik" type spray cleaners on these shells to remove dirt without hurting the shine or color of the shell. If you like some of the aged look to the surface, you can just gently remove the worst dirt areas.
Just watch out for the labels, etc., and GO SLOW. You can dilute the cleaners with water as needed, and several careful attempts will give you better results. Fiberglass is pretty tough stuff though.
Others here may have additional ideas on any of this stuff. Good luck and congratulations on your find!
yes
Light ochre is a good guess, or possibly greige.
They look the same color as the early "greige" arms shells to me. But by 1957-58 the color names and palette had probably expanded, and I am not sure what side shell colors were available at that time.
They look very nice though, and have a rich surface.
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