How a WWII Leg Splint Inspired the Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair

Charles and Ray Eameses’ LCW, the molded plywood lounge chair once dubbed "the best design of the 20th century" by Time magazine, began with an experiment in the couple’s apartment. In the early 1940s, when Charles was working in the art department at MGM studios, the young couple would gather in the evenings to experiment with wood-molding techniques using what they called the "Kazam! Machine." The device, named after the final phrase from a magician’s act—"Ala Kazam!"—could press together thin sheets of wood veneer with the help of copious amounts of glue and a bicycle pump, which was used to inflate a rubber balloon that would push the wood against the machine’s curvature. The designers would then finish shaping the plywood using a handsaw and sandpaper to smooth the edges. 

The Eameses’ Kazam! Machine experiments led to a 1942 commission from the U.S. Navy to develop molded plywood leg splints for injured World War II soldiers that would mimic the curves of a human leg better than the existing metal versions. In order to meet the military’s large order, the Eameses dissolved their fledgling Plyformed Wood Company to form the Molded Plywood Division of the Evans Products Company, a major plywood and wood products producer. 

It’s estimated that around 150,000 Eames splints were produced during the war. Between 1942 and 1945, the Eameses also pioneered a number of other wartime prototypes using molded plywood, including arm splints, stretchers, and aircraft parts—all produced and distributed by the Evans Products Company. (In 1942 and 1943 they also developed a number of plywood sculptures to further explore production possibilities with different designs using the material.)

When WWII drew to a close, the Eameses turned their attention back to furniture, setting out to work on a molded plywood collection. They produced a line of children’s furnishings and toy-like objects, and soon after came their molded plywood tables and chairs, among them, of course, the LCW. Simple and comfortable, the LCW marked a departure from the heavy, clunky furniture Americans were used to. But it wasn’t just formally innovative; with the low-slung seat and ergonomic design, the LCW commanded a place in design history. As Ray Eames once explained, "What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts." A testament to their skill, the LCW still looks good and works good, too.

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