He, Ivy style and bow tie; she, short bangs and bun, wearing a corolla-shaped pinafore dress with a Peter Pan collar—Charles and Ray Eames remain, for posterity, this inseparable couple, captured in an eccentric and joyful portrait seemingly pinned to the floor by the metal structures of their chairs.

Their Venice Beach studio became the catalyst for their diverse talents in architecture, film, photography, scenography, graphic design, furniture design, and even game design, which they took very seriously. Over 30 years, the Eames—who also collaborated with Eero Saarinen and Harry Bertoia—primarily created more than 20 chair models.

Their design approach favored experimentation as a path to continuous refinement. Regarding the molded plywood chairs, C. Eames said they certainly resulted from a “flash of inspiration,” but above all, from a flash that had lasted 30 years! Not to mention the major role of serendipity in their work—a chance, a concept, or a technical detail about one object could generate another.

Thus, the Plywood Group series represents the culmination of experiments conducted for the U.S. Army on molded splints and stretchers under heat and pressure.