An Eames Anthology: Articles, Film Scripts, Interviews, Letters, Notes, and Speeches

“[E]xtraordinary . . . full to the brim with creative and novel selections.”—LA Review of Books 

“A genuinely invaluable addition to the Eames literature and a must-read for anyone interested not only in the couple but also in the practice and nature of design.”—Christopher Wilk, V&A Magazine

Now in paperback, An Eames Anthology collects for the first time the writings of the esteemed American architects and designers Charles and Ray Eames, illuminating their marriage and professional partnership of fifty years. It provides invaluable insight into their guiding ideas and philosophies, including:

• Design depends largely on constraints
• Design is a process of problem solving
• Designers should use all accessible tools and information in the analysis of a problem
• Designers should focus on evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, design

More than 120 primary-source documents and 200 illustrations highlight iconic projects such as the Case Study Houses and the molded plywood chair, as well as their work for major corporations as both designers (Herman Miller, Vitra) and consultants (IBM, Polaroid). Previously unpublished materials appear alongside published writings by and about the Eameses and their work, lending new insight into their creative process. Correspondence with such luminaries as Richard Neutra and Eero Saarinen provides a personal glimpse into the advance of modernity in mid-century America.