Both American, Charles Eames was born in St. Louis (1907), and Ray Eames in Sacramento (1912).  After studying at the Washington University in St. Louis for two years, Charles was thrown out for his advocacy of Frank Lloyd Wright.  There after he began working in an architectural office, and in 1930 founded his own studio.  Meanwhile, Ray studied painting with Hans Hofmann in New York before moving to Cranbrook Academy where she assisted Charles and Eero Saarinen to prepare designs for the Museum of Modern Art’s ‘Organic Furniture Competition’.Charles’s design practice began to evolve beyond architecture and he too ended up at Cranbrook Academy of Art on a fellowship.  In 1941, Charles and Ray married and moved to California.  During WW2, the US Navy commissioned them to produce plywood splints, stretchers, and glider shells.  In 1946, Evans Products began producing their molded plywood furniture, before being taken over by Hermann Miller, who continue to manufacture the range. Charles and Ray Eames are renowned for their contributions to twentieth century design, architecture, manufacture and photographic arts.