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What a photo! I wish I was a fly on the wall for this photo shoot.
Can you name all of the Design Stars of Modernism in this photo from
Playboy Magazine without looking? Perhaps their chairs give you clues to their identities. The furniture from left to right is, Herman Miller Serving Cart (unknown model), circa 1950s; Dunbar 5480 "A" Cane Back Chair, 1954; Knoll 70 "Womb" Lounge Chair, 1948; Knoll 421 Small Diamond Chair, 1950; Herman Miller
DCM Chair, 1946; "
Caribe Hilton" Open Armchair, 1949.
And the Cover Boys of
Modernism from left to right are, George Nelson, Edward
Wormley,
Eero Saarinen, Harry
Bertoia, Charles
Eames, Jens
Risom. Some were life long friends, others were serious rivals and competitors.
Bertoia worked for
Eames at one point, but had a falling out. Saarinen and
Eames designed the groundbreaking designs for the New York
MoMA's Organic Design in Home Furnishings.
Eames and Nelson were the primary designers for Herman Miller.
The egos that must have filled the studio while taking that picture. How did they get all of these Design
Heroes in the room together? Or did they get them together. Maybe it is two or more photos joined together. There is a peculiar gap in the middle, but that could be the photographer planning ahead for the gutter of this two page spread.
A while back I purchased this July, 1961 issue of
Playboy Magazine that contains this article and photo spread and I think it is the best
Playboy centerfold ever. This is Modern
furniture P O R N. I told my wife that I just bought the magazine for the pictures, not the articles.