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Charles Eames, Ray Eames, Leg Splint, 1942, plywood, 41 3⁄4 × 7 7⁄8 × 4 in. (106.0 × 20.0 × 10.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Harish K. Patel in memory of his father Khodabhai C. Patel, 2001.19
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Leg Splint
- Artists
- Date
- 1942
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 41 3⁄4 × 7 7⁄8 × 4 in. (106.0 × 20.0 × 10.2 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Harish K. Patel in memory of his father Khodabhai C. Patel
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- plywood
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 2001.19
Artwork Description
Husband-and-wife team Charles and Ray Eames joined the war effort during World War II by entering into a contract with the U.S. Navy to develop a lightweight molded plywood leg splint. The object they designed, celebrated as much for its elegant biomorphic form as its utility, was true to their design philosophy of "making the best for the most for the least." Through their Navy contract, they had valuable access to military technology and manufacturing processes and gained insights that would serve as the basis for many of their later designs, especially their trademark chairs.
Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery, 2019
Exhibitions
November 13, 2015–March 6, 2022
Connections is the Renwick Gallery’s dynamic ongoing permanent collection presentation, featuring more than 80 objects celebrating craft as a discipline and an approach to living differently in the modern world.