Ray and Charles working on a conceptual model for 'Mathematica" c. 1960 Library of Congress Archives Byra J. and William P. Wreden Prize for Collecting Books and Related Materials. February, 2011 Submitted by: Michael JG Turri (Expected) MS Design 2011
A PASSIONATE COLLECTOR After an exhilarating evening pounding the pavement in a cheap plastic Star Wars Storm Trooper costume, I rushed home to sort my Halloween take. With a yellow legal pad and blue felt-tipped pen in hand, I started cataloguing: Snickers bar, snack size, one; Kit Kat, full size, three I ve always been a collector. Stickers, rocks and minerals, coins, comic books, sports cards, found objects, etc. Everything organized, labeled, catalogued and protected. From an early age, collecting taught me respect for objects, about their meaning, and the markets that are created to trade them. In retrospect, my desire to collect and organize was a manifestation of my efforts to understand the system of things. It should come as no surprise that I studied ecology and evolutionary biology as an undergraduate at Cornell University. These fields of biology seek the systematic organization of life and study how form and function change through time. Although I decided not to pursue a career in biology, I readily apply this scientific rigor to my collecting pursuits. CHARLES AND RAY EAMES I first discovered the furniture of famed 20 th century American designers Charles and Ray Eames in 1998. I was working as an investment banker and fell in love with design and, for the first time, became passionate about history. I read voraciously about design and began collecting, buying and selling 20 th century design artifacts from all over the world, taking advantage of fluctuating currency rates and inefficient markets created by the then nascent Internet. All the while, I learned more and more about the rich and varied work of Charles and Ray Eames, eventually shifting my collection from design objects to design information. Indeed, my most enduring collecting pursuit (10 years running) focuses on print artifacts that trace the development of the pivotal design partnership between The Eames Office and IBM during the golden era of computing. THE EAMES OFFICE - IBM PARTNERSHIP The Office of Charles and Ray Eames is among the most important firms in the history of design. Their 40-year career spanned architecture, furniture, exhibition design, film, graphics, books, toys, and more. Charles Eames was initially thrust into prominence by architect/designer/curator Eliot Noyes in 1940 when Charles and fellow Cranbrook faculty member Eero Saarinen won the MoMA competition for Organic Design in Home Furnishings using the molded plywood manufacturing processes that the Eameses later perfected. It is for this furniture and the process used to manufacture it that the Eames are most famous.
Organic Design in Home Furnishings - Eliot Noyes modernism101.com Although The Eameses designed some of the most successful furniture pieces of all time for Herman Miller and continued to innovate in this area throughout their career, their focus began to shift in the early 1950s. At this time, Charles and Ray became fascinated with the power of multimedia exhibitions and film to communicate ideas, emotions and content. At the time The Eames Office was cultivating an interest in communicating ideas, data processing and computing were brand new phenomena, still largely the domain of government and large corporations. Indeed, the implications of this technology were only beginning to enter popular culture. IBM was the dominating force in data processing and early computing in America, a subject that was at best misunderstood, if not somewhat feared by the general public. There was a clear need to shift the public s view of technology in 1956 when then CEO Thomas Watson Jr. hired Eliot Noyes to develop the company s first corporate-wide design program. A year later, Noyes hired The Eames Office, the first truly human-centered designers, to help communicate the societal value of technology to America. The Eames Office, at the request of Eliot Noyes, produced their first animated film for IBM: The Information Machine: Creative Man and the Data Processor, shown at the Noyes-designed IBM pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World Fair. This was the start of a long and fruitful partnership between the world's biggest technology giant of the day and the top design firm of the era.
1958 IBM Pavilion Brussels World's Fair The Information Machine IBM Archives cartoonmodern.blogsome.com The Eames Office did a great deal more than communicate the value of technology over the next 20 years. In fact, they were the first designers to humanize computing technology. They did so by positioning computers as a natural extension of man s own reasoning, as a tool possessing unparalleled potential to improve our decision-making capabilities. Many of these works, when reviewed today, appear prophetic. THE COLLECTION My collection pulls from approximately 12 small and large-scale exhibitions, including the landmark IBM pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World s Fair in Flushing Meadows and Mathematica: A World of Numbers and Beyond. There are also scores of films, some of which were themselves integral parts of the exhibitions, or were used in the planning process. Other films dealt with general scientific knowledge such as Powers of 10, or even historical figures like The World of Franklin and Jefferson, which was created for a the eponymous bicentennial exhibition that toured internationally. 1964/65 IBM Pavilion NY World's Fair by The Eames Office & Eero Saarinen Leon Reed via viewlinerltd.blogspot.com
Charles and Ray Eames pioneered a deeply human approach to art and design. Although this human-centered approach was evident in all of their work, it was particularly powerful in their IBM projects. Their clear communication of technology's role in society, through myriad IBM-sponsored exhibitions, short films and books, were the prototype for a new art form. Among these seminal works were the film, Powers of 10, and the marquee exhibition, Mathematica: A World of Numbers...and Beyond, whose 50th anniversary is in 2011. In these works, one can trace the industrial beginnings of computing in America: IBM, with the design help of The Eames Office, Eliot Noyes and Paul Rand, shaped the public's nascent perception of computing and sought to advance math and science education in America. This collaboration and the resulting works are compelling evidence for Design s impact in storytelling, communication and user experience. The Eames Office was at the cutting edge of defining the human-centered multidisciplinary design process. Their work presents a finely integrated model that is as relevant today as it was fifty years ago. Statement of the Eames Design Process by Charles Eames for the Louvre Show, "What Is Design," 1969 eamesgallery.com
SUMMARY In summary, this collection traces the massive impact the Eames-IBM partnership had on the public perception of mathematics, science and computing technology in America. Critical examination and documentation of this largely forgotten partnership is a vehicle for remembering not only the historical precedents that link design and technology, but also as a reminder of how the human-centered design process can be used to fundamentally shift attitudes and the human experience. IBM Computer House of Cards Prototype John & Marilyn Neuhart Archives
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Film The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. A Communications Primer. 16mm film. Santa Monica, California: Pyramid Films. 1953. Nelson, George. Art X: The Georgia Experiment. Industrial Design Oct. 1954: 44 51. Describes early multi-media communications experiments by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard. Johnston, Hugh B. IBM System of Design Co-Ordination. Industrial Design March 1957: 48-53. Discussion of IBM s design program 13 months after initiation.(random Access Method of Accounting and Control). Press Release IBM Pavilion at the Brussels World Fair. Feb., 1958. Mentions The Information Machine: Man and the Data Processor, which was the first IBM-sponsored film created by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. It was shown at the pavilion, which was designed by architect Eliot Noyes, head of design at IBM. Film The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. The Information Machine: Man and the Data Processor. 16mm film. New York: IBM. 1958. Nelson, George. American National Exhibition in Moscow. Industrial Design April 1959: 47-55. Coverage of the entire American pavilion including the Glimpses of the U.S.A. multiscreen projection by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. IBM Banishes Dowdiness. Fortune June, 1959: 128-135. Excellent overview of IBM s fledging design program. The American National Pavilion in Moscow. 1959. [Russian] Pavilion designed by George Nelson, Buckminster Fuller and The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Four copies.
Photograph American National Pavilion in Moscow. 1959. Kaiser Aluminum. B&W Exterior shot of entire geodesic dome by R. Buckminster Fuller that houses the Glimpses of the U.S.A. multi-screen projection designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Brochure Mathematica: A World of Numbers and Beyond. Accordion fold brochure for 1961 eponymous exhibition designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Gift of Eames Office employees John and Marilyn Neuhart. Miller, Judith R. IBM s Mathematica. Industrial Design May 1961: 36-43. Comprehensive the eponymous exhibition by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Cliff, Ursula. On Company Time. Industrial Design September 1961: 50-53. Coverage of IBM s industrial design department. Photographs IBM Pavilion at the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. 1962-1965. B&W. 30 unique views. New York World's Fair 1964-1965 - Progress Report Volume 5. New York: World s Fair Corporation, 1962. Development and financial report. New York World's Fair 1964-1965 - Progress Report Volume 6. New York: World s Fair Corporation, 1962. Development and financial report. New York World's Fair 1964-1965 - Progress Report Volume 7. New York: World s Fair Corporation, 1963. Development and financial report.
New York World's Fair 1964-1965 - Progress Report Volume 8. New York: World s Fair Corporation, 1963. Development and financial report. New York World's Fair 1964-1965 - Progress Report Volume 9. New York: World s Fair Corporation, 1963. Development and financial report. Photograph Eames, Charles. IBM Pavilion 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. Jan. 1963. The Office of Charles and Ray Eames, Venice, California. B&W. Close-up plan view of architectural model. Two unique views (one stamped Eames). IBM. IBM at the Fair. Architectural Forum June 1963: p. 47. Coverage of the design and construction of the IBM Pavilion at the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Photograph Eames, Charles. IBM Pavilion 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. Sep. 1963. The Office of Charles and Ray Eames, Venice, California. Color. Close-up of architectural model detail. One copy (stamped Eames). IBM. Mayer, Martin. The Thinking Man s Exhibit. Esquire Oct. 1963: 118 123. Coverage of the design and construction of the IBM Pavilion at the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Moses Builds a Fair. Architectural Forum Jan. 1964: 64 75. Coverage of the design and construction of the IBM Pavilion at the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames.
Hamilton, Mina. Films at the Fair 2. Industrial Design May 1964: 33 + 36-41. Complete coverage of Think, the multi-screen projection inside the IBM pavilion by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Carpenter, Edward. Exhibit Techniques at the Fair. Industrial Design May 1964: 42 47. Complete coverage of Think, the multi-screen projection inside the IBM pavilion by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Comstock, Henry B. Inside IBM's World's Fair Egg. Popular Science Jul. 1964: 58 59 Coverage of the design and construction of the IBM Pavilion at the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Advertisement IBM. Advertisement. LIFE July 1964: 6-7. Two-page spread on the IBM Pavilion at the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. One copy in magazine, one copy removed. Press Packet The IBM Pavilion 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. IBM: April 1963. Complete with post-dated envelope, folder, seven press releases, and B&W photograph of the Sherlock Holmes puppet show. 35mm Slides The IBM Pavilion 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. A mixture of amateur and souvenir mounted slides showing all aspects of the IBM pavilion. 80 unique slides. Souvenir Card Handwriting Recognition. 1964. Two-sided card detailing and demonstrating IBM s handwriting recognition technology. 1964/5 New York World s Fair Souvenir from the IBM pavilion designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames and architect Eero Saarinen.
Ticket The Information Machine. New York World s Fair: IBM Pavilion, 1964. Admit one to the multi-screen projection in the ovoid theatre. Automatic Language Translation. Armonk, NY: IBM, 1964. Features information on purpose-built machines at the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. Four copies. Brochure Rand, Paul. IBM Pavilion New York World s Fair 1964/1965. IBM. Tri-fold brochure for eponymous exhibition designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Four copies cover version A, twocopies cover version B Press Packet The IBM Pavilion 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. IBM: 1965. Complete with folder, 11 press releases, Paul Rand designed booklet and brochure (cover version B) and 1965 newspaper article reprint. Rand, Paul and The Office of Charles and Ray Eames photos. The IBM Pavilion New York World s Fair 1964-5. Armonk, New York: IBM, 1965. The definitive design record of the IBM Pavilion. Five copies. Rand, Paul. IBM Annual Report. Armonk, NY: IBM, 1965. Features information pertaining to the 1964/1965 New York World s Fair. One Copy. Johnson, Phyllis eds. Aspen 1965. Avant garde multimedia magazine in a box featuring works by many prominent artists, designers and musicians. Includes Paul Rand s IBM Pavilion booklet. Various. Eames Celebration. Architectural Design Sept. 1966: 432 471. Comprehensive review and critique of Eames Office work. One copy and two bound reprints sponsored by Herman Miller.
Poster The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. The Men of Modern Mathematics Timeline. 1966. Created following the Mathematica exhibition. Several feet long. Poster The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. A Computer Glossary. 1968. Created in conjunction with the eponymous exhibition. Film The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. A Rough Sketch for a Proposed Film Dealing with the Powers of Ten and the Relative Size of Things in the Universe. 16mm film. New York: IBM. 1968. Precursor to The Powers of 10. The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. National Fisheries Center and Aquarium. Washington, D.C.: US Department of the Interior, 1969. Limited circulation booklet detailing Eames architectural and exhibition proposal. Computers Are Going to Town. Armonk, NY: IBM, 1972. Selected uses of computers in society. Book The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. A Computer Perspective. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1973. Hardcover edition with original glassine jacket. Following the 1970 exhibition, Computer Perspective. One copy and one paperback edition. Brochure Philosophical Gardens. 1974. Two-sided card detailing eponymous exhibition designed by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Gift of Eames Office employees John and Marilyn Neuhart. The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. The World of Franklin and Jefferson. Austria: 1975 1977. Exhibition catalog for the eponymous exhibition in Paris.
Book The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. The World of Franklin and Jefferson. Los Angeles, California: IBM, 1976. Hardcover edition following the 1975-1977 eponymous exhibition. Poster The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. The World of Franklin and Jefferson. 1975-1977. Horizontally oriented timeline from the eponymous exhibition in North America. Poster The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. The World of Franklin and Jefferson. 1975-1977. Vertically oriented timeline from the eponymous exhibition in Europe. Neuhart, John & Marilyn. Connections: The Work of Charles and Ray Eames. Los Angeles, California: UCLA Art Council, 1976. Notable exhibition of Eames Office works. Poster The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. German Mathematica Timeline. 1978. Created following the eponymous exhibition. Several feet long. Book The Office of Charles and Ray Eames, Philip Morrison and Phylis Morrison.. Powers of Ten: About the Relative Size of Things in the Universe. San Francisco, California: Scientific American Library, 1982. Following the eponymous film. Eames, Ray, Marilyn Neuhart and John Neuhart. Eames Design. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1989. Eames design compendium. Book Kirkham, Pat. Charles and Ray Eames: Designers of the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1998. Eames biography.