Eames Design Office changed my life…

Most everyone is familiar with this famous molded plywood lounge chair. Designed by Charles Eames several decades ago and first produced by Herman Miller, this state of the art chair is an architectural wonder. During World War II, Charles invented a technique to mold plywood to be used for transporting injured soldiers during combat. These stretchers molded to the various body configurations and revolutionized the industry. Sometime after the war, Charles dreamed up the Eames Lounge chair, with plush padding, leather and molded plywood—all manufactured by Herman Miller. Cheaper knockoffs run $1000, but the originals reach beyond $10,000. Eames furniture designs are seen everywhere—homes, hospitals, offices, airports, etc.

I chauffeured, ran errands, and did odd jobs…

For a young man in the early 70’s, with little ambition and no hankering for traditional higher education, joining the Eames Design Office became a life changing experience that I will always treasure. Recently graduating high school and after a research trip around the world with my novelist father, I found myself at a crossroads. At first, I chose a tainted career path that didn’t fit well with some of my peers, so, with help from a friend, I landed a job driving for the office. I drove Charles around town, did deliveries and pickups, and represented the different departments of the office in the field, and while around the office I did everything from still and motion photography to research—involving mountains of books.

Organizational techniques were top drawer…

While I worked there, we designed and built an elaborate museum exhibit for the U.S. Bicentennial in Washington DC, with graphics, literature, film clips and photos, and three dimensional museum-quality displays that were both informative and entertaining. We also worked on traveling exhibits of historical figures like Newton, Copernicus and Galileo, that have been shown in various cities in North America. Some of my favorite exhibits to work on were the interactive displays, where the audience becomes a participant in an exciting learning process. Charles and his wife Ray spent hundreds of hours picking the perfect pieces to each puzzle, and on several occasions we found ourselves working around the clock—and loving every minute.

Incredible teamwork that I have never known…

As field representative/driver, I drove hundreds of miles a week. I visited university and public libraries, movie and sound studios, photographic labs, museums, art supply stores, and scores of other locations where I worked under the direction of Charles and Ray Eames and the heads of all their many departments. These included, literary departments, art and graphics, architectural, construction, sound-motion picture editing and still photography. Working with these people changed the way I looked at the world. I could see, for the first time, how differently evolved factions of a project molded together into one linear exhibition. An incredible opportunity that any design student would treasure. Charles’ thought process was mirrored by all his gifted associates, all of whom had extensive backgrounds in their fields.

Eames Office, on the mean streets of Venice…

901 Washington Boulevard in Venice California, home for the Eames Design Office—the inside as big as a football field. First thing every morning, I painted over the new graffiti with white paint. This local resident art flourished in the area, and we allowed some of the more artistic graffiti to remain for a few days, before being covered over, to allow for new artists to show their works. We photographed all the contributions, out of posterity, and I even helped some of the artist’s finish-up their work, so I could clean up before the design staff arrived. After dark this was not the part of town for anyone to be wandering, as drug dealers, gang-bangers, pimps, hookers, cops and flavorful mixtures of urban Americana ruled the streets.

An incredible mind, Charles—one of a kind…

Of all the odds jobs and careers that I have encountered, working with Charles and his staff became my gold measure of quality. Everything I do, in my writing and the way I see the world, has been greatly influenced by my time spent at Eames Design. Charles, a self-made man, thought out of the box. Where people focused on galaxies, he focused on atomic structure, when people became fixed upon complacency, he shook up the world and offered a new perspective on age-old thought patterns. But this is not what truly impressed me. The way Charles dealt with people, individually, is what amazed me. He listened with both ears and only spoke when necessary. His kind and unhurried pace was a pleasure to work with, and he helped others reach conclusions on their own, allowing them to experience accomplishment. The waiting list for new applicants at the office ran in the hundreds, as everyone clamored to gain a just few minutes of Charles’ precious time. His many lectures were standing room only.

Charles—a valuable addition to in my memoir…

This is Charles’ home in Pacific Palisades California. A setting for one of the chapters in my recent memoir, The Uris Trinity. The showplace award winning home displayed modular design and allowed for maximum sunlight, shading, and a serene view of the mountainous landscape. This is where I picked him up and dropped him off, in his Mercedes sedan. An intense thinker and often introverted—one of my jobs was to keep him company, dodge away intruders from his bubble, and make certain his tie was straight and his shoelaces were tied before he encountered the public. I drove him and some of the office’s important contributors (to be further noted in future journals) around the greater Los Angeles area.

I will never forget the many lessons of life he taught me, of how to see life from different perspectives, and how to carry oneself with honor during difficult times. His words resonate in my mind as fond memories. I never became close friends with Charles, but we shared many a good time. Always—we smiled at one another, making our lives that much more of a pleasure.