The Eames Aluminum Group series is a line of furniture designed by Charles and Ray Eames

Charles and Ray Eames

Charles Ormond Eames, Jr and Bernice Alexandra "Ray" Eames were American designers, who worked in and made major contributions to modern architecture and furniture. They also worked in the fields of industrial and graphic design, fine art and film.-Charles Eames:Charles Eames, Jr was born in...

. While the furniture, particularly the task chair, is an icon of office furniture, it was originally commissioned as outdoor seating for the home of J. Irwin Miller

J. Irwin Miller

Joseph Irwin Miller was an American industrialist, patron of modern architecture, and lay leader in the Christian ecumenical movement and civil rights...

 (founder of Cummins Engines) by Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.-Biography:Eero Saarinen shared the same birthday as his father,...

 and Alexander Girard

Alexander Girard

Alexander Girard affectionately known as Sandro, was an architect and a textile designer born in New York City to an American mother from Boston and a French-Italian father. He was raised in Florence, Italy...

. The original design featured a mesh back and seat stretched between aluminum ribs.

The chair has been in production by Herman Miller

Herman Miller

Herman Miller may refer to:*Herman Miller , U.S. manufacturer of office furniture and equipment*Herman Miller , Hollywood writer and producer...

 since its inception in 1958, although the seat material has changed over time. The original mesh was quickly discontinued, with the most iconic version being black leather. In 1969, the Eames added a "Soft Pad" version with cushions. In 2001, a version with "Cygnus" mesh (similar to the Aeron chair

Aeron chair

The Aeron chair is a Herman Miller product designed in 1994 by Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf. It is an ergonomic chair regarded by many users as inherently very comfortable due to its wide range of fit and adjustability. Its novel design has gained it a spot in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent...

's Pellicle) was introduced.