Herman Miller: the American partner that made the Eames work happen
Herman Miller has been the American producer of the Eames catalogue since 1948. They also make George Nelson, Alexander Girard, Charles Pollock and the Aeron chair. Here's the short story.
Herman Miller pieces, especially the Eames lounge and the Aeron chair, are some of the most frequently listed American designs on Whoppah. Our curators have a tight authentication checklist for the Eames lounge in particular.
Herman Miller is based in Zeeland, Michigan, and has been making furniture since 1923. The company's transformation began in 1946 when George Nelson became design director and brought in Charles and Ray Eames the same year. Between 1946 and 1972 (the year Nelson left), Herman Miller produced the Eames Lounge Chair (1956), the Eames Plastic Chair series (1948 onward), the Eames Aluminum Group (1958), the Nelson Marshmallow sofa (1956), the Nelson Coconut chair (1955), and the Sunburst and Ball clocks. It's one of the most concentrated periods of important furniture design in any single company's history.
In Europe, the Eames work has been produced under licence by Vitra since 1958. Both Herman Miller and Vitra produce to the same Eames-archive specifications. The difference for European buyers on Whoppah is mostly which one you see: European resellers typically have Vitra production; American resellers and US imports typically have Herman Miller production.
Herman Miller has continued to commission important contemporary work. The Aeron chair (Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf, 1994) is the most-produced ergonomic office chair in the world. The Embody chair (2008) and Cosm chair (2018) are the successors.
What to look for when buying Herman Miller secondhand: every authentic piece carries Herman Miller branding. On the Eames Lounge, pre-1971 pieces have a fragile paper label on the underside of the seat shell; post-1971 pieces have a metal label. Both should include the year of production.
A genuine 1960s Herman Miller Eames Lounge in rosewood (pre-1989) is the most collectible variant on the secondhand market, often selling at €5,000 to €9,000 on Whoppah depending on condition. Post-1989 walnut or cherry production is €3,000 to €6,000.
