Leg Splint

Charles Eames, Ray Eames, Leg Splint, 1942, plywood, 41 34 × 7 78 × 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

Artwork Details

Title
Leg Splint
Date
1942
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
41 34 × 7 78 × 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

Works by this artist (8 items)

Beatrice S. Levy, The Beach, n.d., color aquatint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.188
The Beach
Daten.d.
color aquatint
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, The Derelict, 1914, color aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.187
The Derelict
Date1914
color aquatint on paper
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, In Orchestra Hall, n.d., drypoint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.189
In Orchestra Hall
Daten.d.
drypoint
Not on view
Beatrice S. Levy, Rain in the Hills, 1935, etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.605
Rain in the Hills
Date1935
etching on paper
Not on view

Exhibitions

Media - 2016.11 - SAAM-2016.11_6 - 124929
Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
November 13, 2015March 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.

More Artworks from the Collection

Salvatore Mancini, Narragansett Electric, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.8
Narragansett Electric
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Remains of Lock, Millville, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.6
Remains of Lock, Millville
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Keisha Scarville, Chair, 2001, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Perkins Center for the Arts, 2002.17, © 2001, Keisha Scarville
Chair
Date2001
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Eel Fisherman, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.2
Eel Fisherman
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view