Ray Eames IS NOT & NEVER WAS an Industrial Designer (nor Architect). ** I am an Industrial Design graduate & know the truth of the lie behind giving Ray Eames credit for what she never did & never was. ** What follows are histories, references & original source documentations I included in a Thesis Paper I submitted for course credit in a Senior Design History Class in an Accredited Industrial Design University Program. Ray Eames' only creative background was painting & photography (photography & graphics being her ONLY contribution to the Eames' Design Office). She studied only painting before going to Cranbrook on the recommendation of a friend. She had no history, demonstrated interest or portfolio of ANY projects in Industrial Design (or Architecture) before she met Charles Eames at Cranbrook (an academy I have visited) where he was already an established Industrial Designer & instructor at the school. There is not one example of Industrial Design product (sketches, concepts or otherwise) that she solely or collaboratively created either before, during or after her marriage to Charles. It is clearly documented that George Nelson hired ONLY Charles Eames as a designer for Herman-Miller (regardless of any current "Retconing" to gift Ray credit for what she never did). There are documented HM 1950s publication photos ( cdn.nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mid-century-designers-george-nelson-edward-wormley-eero-saarinen-harry-bertoia-charles-eames-jens-risom-playboy-july-1961-nazmiyal.jpg ) showing Herman-Miller's team of designers including George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Jens Risom, & Charles Eames (& Ray is NOWHERE mentioned or seen in the publications). HM even put out in 1972 a "Design Q&A" interview series interviewing Charles Eames ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bmgxDCujTUw.html ), in which ONLY Charles is mentioned, interviewed & giving answers (again, Ray is NOWHERE mentioned or seen as a collaborator). It is also documented that it was only Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen who were hired to design Case Study House number 9; & House #8 grew out of that project (Ray was never part of the inception of either project). Because of WWII shortages, Charles decided to redesign house #8 to what became known as the Eames House. It was characterized as "a house for a husband & wife" & Ray "as if like any client" (being the wife), gave requests for her desires for the house. That was her ONLY contribution; & as not having any Architectural experience (as Charles had), she could not contribute as a Co-Architect. I will simply state what has always been the case regarding Attribution of Architectural Credit; NEVER is any client who simply gives requests & desires for a given project ever credited also as a contributing Co-Architect on a project. It is also documented & is still listed in John Entenza's Arts & Architecture site (the creators of the Case Study House projects), that ONLY Charles Eames is credited as the Architect of Case Study house #8 ( www.artsandarchitecture.com/case.houses/houses.html ). Again, no mention of Ray AT ALL. These are all documented facts & histories that can be confirmed by visiting the sites, video & images listed above. This ALL refutes the LIE that Ray Eames was a Co-Architect or Co-Industrial Designer collaborator w/ Charles Eames or in the Eames Design Office as a whole.
