1951

Herman Miller

29" H by 44" W by 24 1/2" D

This is a first edition of the Eames Storage Unit desk; this version, with its angular steel frame forming both the structure and the legs of the design, was produced for only two years. As a result of what Herman Miller design director George Nelson called "bugs," it was modified and reintroduced in 1952-53 with stronger features. Elsewhere in this Catalogue we will be presenting an example of a second edition of the ESU desk.

These ESU's were delivered to the customers intact, not as kits. Assembly was done in the Herman Miller factory where the completely assembled units were placed in large shipping boxes. The shipping boxes themselves were designed with decoration by the Eames Office to encourage their re-purposing as large cardboard toys by the fortunate children of those who bought the storage units.

The connecting washer is also original, and is a distinct characteristic of the ESU series.

J.F. Chen Collection