Girard’s purchase order specifies the upholstered version (LAR-1) of the chair in the photograph. On the reverse of the photograph is written in pencil “CE-228-E.” We’re curious to know if anyone is familiar with this photo or its marking. Perhaps Charles Eames took it himself?

Black and white photograph of Eames LAR chair (8 x 10 inches) and purchase order from Alexander Girard to Herman Miller Furniture Company, 1 September 1955, 33/382, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_Ic_B033_f382_004-005)

Nearly all of the original seating at the Miller House was designed by Ray and Charles Eames and was manufactured by Herman Miller. This shipping record is for 28 chairs  from Herman Miller in Venice, California to the Millers in Columbus, Indiana.

Southern Transportation shipping record for Herman Miller Furniture, 27 April 1956, 1/5, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_Ia_B001_f005_039)

“Eames sofa makes me tremble in my boots, ” writes Girard in response to Irwin Miller’s January 5 letter. 

Alexander H. Girard to J. Irwin Miller, 26 January 1956, 1/6, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_Ia_B001_f006_082-083)

“With respect to the Eames Sofa, we give up.” Irwin Miller reluctantly gives Girard his OK for purchasing a slightly modified Eames Compact Sofa. See yesterday’s post to read about the modifications to the sofa.

J. Irwin Miller to Alexander H. Girard, 5 January 1956, 1/6, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana.(MHG_Ia_B001_f006_095-096)

The Millers visited the Knoll and Herman Miller showrooms in New York to select furniture for the house. Writing to the Millers after their trip, Girard makes his case why the Eames Compact Sofa is the right sofa for the Millers. It seems the Millers had serious reservations about purchasing the sofa.

Alexander H. Girard to J. Irwin Miller, 11 December 1955, 1/6, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_Ia_B001_f006_096-099)

We couldn’t resist sharing this image of Eames DCM-L and LCM chairs in Mies Van Der Rohe’s Crown Hall on the campus of Illinois Institute of Technology. The image is from a Herman Miller chair catalog, and while the Miller House has no Eames molded plywood chairs, it does have other Eames chairs

Page from Herman Miller chair catalog, probably 1970, 7/63 Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_Ib_B007_f063_025)

In 1970 the Millers brought their Eames Aluminium group chairs back to a Herman Miller factory to be recovered. They purchased the chairs in June 1958.

Herman Miller chair brochure, probably 1970; Owen D. Hungerford to Xenia S. Miller, 11 May 1970, 7/63 Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_Ib_B007_f063_019 and MHG_Ib_B007_f063_016)

This memo from Alexander Girard to Xenia Miller would likely have been included in the loose leaf book Girard described in his letter of March 4, 1963. The notes on the memo indicate that Girard’s proposal to replace the Eames wire-cage bases was completed on 16 May 1963.

Alexander H. Girard to Xenia S. Miller, 1 March 1963, 6/52, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana.(MHG_Ib_B006_f052_039)

Alexander Girard wrote to J. Irwin Miller and offered candid observations on the personalities of Hans Knoll and Dan Kiley. Girard also answers questions about various interior decorating matters that Miller posed in a previous letter.

Alexander Girard to J. Irwin Miller, 1/1, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_B001_f001_096-100)

In the spring of 1963, Alexander Girard and Xenia Miller met in New York to shop for furniture for the Miller House. Following that trip, Girard forwarded a photograph of Herman Miller’s 675 Lounge Chair designed by Charles Eames. Mrs. Miller writes at the bottom of the Girard’s memo, “Don’t like for den even in brass.”

Alexander “Sandro” Girard to Xenia S. Miller, 10 June 1963, 6/52, Miller House and Garden Collection, IMA Archives, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. (MHG_Ib_B006_f052_032-034)