Early Mid-Century Low Back Chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1960s

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About This Piece

Vintage Design

An iconic and extremely rare first-generation Eames side chair in lovely vintage condition. This fantastic chair is a treasure of design history, produced in London by esteemed British maker Hille in collaboration with Herman Miller in the late 1950s/early 1960s, which will add a genuine Mid Century Modernist ‘Eames’ aesthetic to any interior.

Designed in 1957, this No.680 chair was the first chair Eames ever designed as part of their Aluminium Group of chairs and as a ‘first-generation’ model, it’s the design that originally went into production, before parts and materials were later tweaked. It’s such an early chair in fact, that they hadn’t yet adopted the Eames ‘EA’ naming process, which came about from 1966, when the 680 model became the EA101.

The first of the original four Aluminium Group chairs produced by Eames from 1957-1965, (the others being the 680S, 686 and 686S) the 680 was designed with the following qualifications: “Side Task Chair, No Arms, Fixed – Pedestal Base”. Herman Miller has always produced Eames chairs and Hille produced Eames chairs for Herman Miller in Europe from the late 1950s for just over a decade, before Vitra got the whole European contract for Eames production. This chair has the original “Herman Miller Made by Hille of London” sticker beneath the seat, and being a first-generation design, was likely made in the early 1960s but could even be a late 1950s production.

Sleek, durable, versatile and attractive, this iconic chair features an aluminium frame and a specially produced grey ribbed Eames ‘Naugahyde’ (durable faux leather) seat. It has the lovely Eames under-seat ‘U’ support over the smart black central column and sturdy 4-star base. Set on the original white rubber feet, the design of this first-generation base really sets it apart from later generation models, as it's much more angular and unapologetically Brutalist – a true child of the post-war design movement.

All in all this is a fantastic rare chair. Highly versatile as a dining, office, side or accent chair, it’s also a wonderful piece of museum-worthy design history, which won’t fail to add streamlined styling and a genuine Mid Century aesthetic to any setting.

CONDITION
This is in good vintage condition. Structurally sound and built to last, it has minor to-be-expected signs of age, including minor scratches to the black finish on the central column and some slight splitting to the right side of the seat. The original “Herman Miller Made by Hille of London” sticker can still be read on the ‘U’-shaped seat support. Overall it’s an iconic and extremely rare first-generation Eames original chair, and if well looked after it should remain so for another 60+ years – please see the photos.

DIMENSIONS
Height – 84cm, Width – 50cm, Depth – 54cm, Seat Height – 44cm, Seat Width – 48cm, Seat Depth – 39cm, Weight – 5.5kg.

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Creator	Charles and Ray Eames
Manufacturer	Herman Miller
Design Period	1950 to 1959
Year	1960
Production Period	1950 to 1959
Country of Manufacture	United Kingdom
Identifying Marks	This piece has an attribution mark
Style	American, Mid-Century, Minimalist, Modernist, Bauhaus, Space Age
Detailed Condition	Good — This vintage/antique item may have some wear such as scratches and other signs of ageing.
Restoration and Damage Details	Light wear consistent with age and use, This is in good vintage condition. Structurally sound and built to last, it has minor to-be-expected signs of age, please see the full Condition report in the Description.
Product Code	PS-2100269
Materials	Aluminum, Naugahyde, Rubber
Color	Grey
Width	50 cm 50 cm
Depth	54 cm 54 cm
Height	84 cm 84 cm

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	United Kingdom
Returns	Returns accepted within fourteen days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Delivery Options

Front Door Delivery: (Included in Every Order)	A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below). The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.
In-Home Delivery: (For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)	A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers. The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.

Front Door Delivery:
(Included in Every Order)

A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below).
The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

In-Home Delivery:
(For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)

A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers.
The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine every order upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damage or missing or incorrect pieces, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations of missing, damaged, or incorrect item(s) represents your acceptance of the complete order in perfect condition.

Sustainability

Carbon Neutral	For every purchase made, Pamono offsets 100% of estimated carbon emissions from global shipping.
Vintage	Choosing vintage and antique furniture reduces your carbon footprint by cutting down on waste and reduces demand for new materials and extends the life of the products we use.

About the Maker

Herman Miller

Herman Miller came into being in 1923 when a company man by the name of D. J. De Pree (1891-1990) bought the majority shares of the Michigan Star Furniture Company, with the help of his father-in-law, for whom he named the new venture. Like other furniture manufacturers in West Michigan at the time, De Pree focused on the production of replicas of ornate, 18^th- and 19^th-century European wood furnishings, until a bankruptcy scare brought on by the Great Depression drove him to seek a new direction. In 1931, De Pree brought in commercial artist Gilbert Rohde, who convinced De Pree that honest, functional designs characterized by clean, simple lines were the way forward—and thus set the course for Herman Miller’s influence on what would become known as the midcentury modern style. Two years later, the first Rohde-designed collection debuted at the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago.

After Rohde passed away in 1944, De Pree hired architect-designer George Nelson as the company’s first official design director. By crafting a new, compelling corporate identity and collaborating with some of the most visionary designers of the day—Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and Alexander Girard —Nelson earned the company international acclaim. Under his leadership, Herman Miller created some of the 20^th century’s most iconic objects, such as the Eameses’ DCM “Potato Chip” Chair (1945/46), Molded Fiberglass Chair (1950), and Eames Lounge Chair (1956); Noguchi’s Noguchi Table (1948); and Nelson’s own Bubble Lamps (1955) and Marshmallow Sofa (1965), to name a few. Notably, the Action Office Project I series by Robert Propst (1964) paved the way for adjustable and semi-enclosed work environments (a.k.a. cubicles) at a time when modernist design was increasingly adopted as the style for American corporate interiors. More recent office bestsellers include Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick’s ubiquitous Aeron Chair (1994) and Studio 7.5’s high-tech, environmentally friendly Mirra Chair (2003).

Today Herman Miller and German manufacturer Vitra share many of the same licenses for midcentury modern masterpieces, the former sold in North America and the later in Europe. Much debate surrounds whether one produces better products than the other. The rivalry between the two companies notwithstanding, Herman Miller pieces have been extensively exhibited and acquisitioned into the permanent collections of institutions such as New York’s Museum of Modern Art, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, and even Weil am Rhein’s Vitra Design Museum—and many, many more.

* All images courtesy of Herman Miller.