“Powers of Ten takes us on an adventure in magnitudes. Starting at a picnic by the lakeside in Chicago, this famous film transports us to the outer edges of the universe. Every ten seconds we view the starting point from ten times farther out until our own galaxy is visible only a s a speck of light among many others. Returning to Earth with breathtaking speed, we move inward- into the hand of the sleeping picnicker- with ten times more magnification every ten seconds. Our journey ends inside a proton of a carbon atom within a DNA molecule in a white blood cell. POWERS OF TEN © 1977 EAMES OFFICE LLC (www.eamesoffice.com)”

In addition to the youtube release of the Powers of Ten, a new website celebrating the film and offering a few products launched on 10/10/10. (via Arktip).

Eames fans take not – on April 8, 2010, Chicago auction house Wright will host a sale celebrating the good and unique designs of Charles and Ray Eames. Included is the above DKW chair in enameled steel, leather, and walnut. There are also enough DCW chairs going to the block to satisfy a rather healthy rush of interest.

The sale features Eames Design Archive of John and Marilyn Neuhart. About the archive -

As official archivists of Eames Office output for more than 30 years, the Neuhart’s meticulously chronicled the work of Charles and Ray Eames and compiled thousands of images, original ephemera, films and documents. The Neuhart’s amassed nearly 100 binders containing photographs, copies, negatives and clippings of nearly all Eames Office production as well as thorough records of the 1976 exhibition Connections: the Work of the Office of Charles and Ray Eames, a scenic cloud backdrop from the Eames Office, a scale model of the Eames Office as it was at the time of Charles Eames death in 1978 and a copy of the complete inventory of Eames’ projects for the IBM Corporation including records from the Mathmatica exhibition. The Eames Design Archive of John and Marilyn Neuahrt is a comprehensive and scholarly collection that attests to the Eames’ iconic reputation as leaders in mid-twentieth century design.

Though not particularly engrossing, the online catalog is worth flipping though just to get a sense of the duo’s range with each of their iconic designs. Really nice to see things side by side, and their are a few oddities as well. The auction will begin at 12 noon on April 8, Wright is located at 1440 West Hubbard, Chicago, IL.

More Eames goodies after the jump.

Designed in 1951, the Wire Chair from Charles and Ray Eames rose from a challenge to provide well priced, lightweight and durable furniture. Bent wire proved their structural answer, and the form was born. Herman Miller produced the chairs consistently until 1967 and then reintroduced them in 2001. The firm still offers them, with both a leather cushion and as a simple wire only affair. (Via Private).

The cushioned version of the Eames Wire Chair can be viewed after the jump.

Robust Flavor shares this great walk-thru video showing the assembly line process of building an Eames Shell Chair. “In 1948, Charles and Ray Eames submitted the shell chair to the International Competition for Low Cost Furniture, sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art. They originally intended to use stamped metal, but it proved to be prohibitively costly. It uses two basic seat designs, both available with multiple base options. This adds tremendously to the ability to mass-produce the chairs at a very low cost. The original material used for the seats was a fiberglass resin.”

A longstanding affinity for Vitra miniatures was reignited today by the daily MOSS update. Not really cost effective (one can find a full size example cheaper), the Vitra miniatures collection nonetheless allows for a comprehensive furniture collection without the frightening spatial concerns. Add to that the fact they really do capture some of the icons of modern design, and the whole set is pretty much sweet.

Above is a the Charles and Ray Eames designed arm chair. If you’ve been hunting one for awhile, you may want to check Northeast Auctions this weekend. A mint, Herman Miller produced, example goes to the block tomorrow. Our estimate? It should hit for $2,500 or so.

In celebration of the birthday of Charles Eames (he would have been 101 today) the US Postal Service has released a commemorative 42 cent stamp. The stamp features key designs from Charles and his wife Ray. In total, there are 16 stamps in the collection.  Get them at your local post office. (via Design Notes).