Preproduction DCM (Dining Chair Metal)

This prototype DCM (dining chair metal) is one of six that Charles Eames made in order to convince the Evans Products Company to manufacture the design. It was probably made shortly after the opening of the exhibition New Furniture Designed by Charles Eames at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in March 1946. The frame has concealed weld joints and is plated in zinc, as chromium was still scarce due to World War II rationing. The wooden seat and back are made of thin plywood faced in luxurious rosewood. The back and seat are attached to the frame with rubber shock mounts and exposed metal washers. All of these details changed when the chair finally went into production, making this an unusual survival and a vivid example of how a design transforms from the prototype stage to the factory floor.