Eames Catalog

        

            

                
				
DAX-1 1954

                
                


                                                                        
1954
                                                
Herman Miller
                                                                                                                        
DAX-1


Dining (and Desk)  Armchair X (four rod legs) Upholstered


31" H by 24 7/8" W by 24" D


Seat height 17 5/8"


Weight 19 lbs.


Charcoal naugahyde, painted black shell, bright zinc plated legs, large shock mounts, boot glides.


The  prefix "-1" is used to identify the upholstered options of the  fiberglass chairs.  This one is from the earliest production, note the  early large shock mounts on the underside.  This chair, like all the  earliest upholstered chairs has an applied finish on the back.  A note  from the 1955 Herman Miller catalogue:  "The upholstered plastic  armchairs come with an applied finish on the back of the shell.  Chairs  upholstered in blue, black, ultramarine, dark grey, charcoal (THIS  EXAMPLE) or navy have a black (THIS EXAMPLE) finish on the back of  shell; the backs of chairs upholstered in other colors have an applied  beige finish."


The finish covers the shock  mounts.  It is not a common paint, it is an industrial paint which is  much thicker and more durable than ordinary paint.  Charles Eames often  talked about bringing the virtues of industrial products, with their  greater strength, to consumer goods, and this paint finish is yet  another example of that.




Note the early "color-coordinated" black screws.  At this date, "tall" slot screws were specified for these chairs.


This chair's upholstery is of the first type introduced by the Eames Office.  1954 Herman Miller sales materials described it:  "A tailored foam rubber pad is fitted over the molded plastic shell in  these new (1954) designs by Charles Eames.  The upholstered pad is a  single unit which may be removed for easy cleaning."  All the parts  of these early upholstery pads were sewn together from one material--  the seat, back and the edges are either all naugahyde (THIS EXAMPLE) or  fabric.





                        
                

                

                    

                        

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