Dining chair

Maker & role
Charles Eames (b.1907, d.1978), Designer; Evans Products Company, Manufacturer; Herman Miller Furniture Co (estab. 1923), Distributor; Ray Eames (b.1912, d.1988)
 Production date
1948
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Object detail

Title
'DCM' chair
Production place
United States of America
Collection
Rose Seidler House
Measurements
0 - Whole, H: 74.3 x W: 49.5 x D: 54.6cm (H: 743 x W: 495 x D: 546mm); 0 - Whole, H: 74.3cm (H: 743mm); 0 - Whole, W: 49.5cm (W: 495mm); 0 - Whole, D: 54.6cm (D: 546mm); seat height, H: 45.7cm (H: 457mm)
Signature & marks
Steel frame inscribed: XX1;
Paper label underside of seat: '[Evans logo] / Manufactured by / Evans Products Company / Molded plywood division / herman miller / furniture company / sole distributor / Designed by / Charles Eames'
Credit line
Gift, through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, by Harry Seidler AC OBE, 1987
Rose Seidler House Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Caption
'DCM' dining chair, designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Evans Products Company, USA, 1948.
Description
The DCM chair (Dining Chair on Metal base) is a modern classic that has not been out of production since it was first produced in 1946. Architect Harry Seidler was one of the early adopters, frequently using DCMs in his house designs of the 1950s. The Rose Seidler House collection includes 15 DCMs and five similar LCMs (Lounge Chair on Metal base). Seidler stated that prior to his 1948 arrival in Sydney, 'my parents... warned me of the fact there was no modern furniture available in Australia' so he ordered DCMs and LCMs in the United States of America before he departed. Seidler believed that design of interiors was just as important as the exterior design of buildings, and as such, was very selective of the furniture used in his houses.
The DCMs satisfied many Modernist ideals such as the removal of unnecessary ornament and use of the latest modern materials or techniques (like plywood construction). The chairs were also practical – being light-weight and easy to move for the contemporary home - this was an important consideration for Rose and Max Seidler, who entertained guests at home regularly.
The first DCMs, including the ones at Rose Seidler House, were manufactured by the Evans Plywood Company. The Herman Miller company, which had originally distributed the chairs, purchased the manufacturing operation in 1949.
Accession number
RSH88/1-14

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