"La Fonda" armchair by Charles & Ray Eames, USA 1970s

The La Fonda chairs take their name from the legendary restaurant La Fonda Del Sol in New York, founded in 1961. Charles & Ray Eames were commissioned to design this chair for the restaurant's dining room, the interior of which was designed by their friend Alexander Girard. The seating elements had to harmonise perfectly with the rest of the furniture. The La Fonda was revolutionary for the Eames as it was the first to have fixed upholstery, which would later be used on all plastic chairs. It also featured a special gel mixed into the mould to make the fibreglass matte. As a result, the shell was never available in more than one colour. The fully upholstered version has moulded polyurethane foam upholstery covered in fabric, attached to the shell with a piped edge. This chair is probably one of the most elegant and original bases ever designed by the Eames. Designer: Charles & Ray Eames. Manufacturer: Vitra. Materials and techniques: seat shell in mass-tinted polypropylene, painted aluminium base, and nylon glides. Origin: Switzerland. Period: 1960 – 1969. Date of manufacture: 1961. Height: 75 cm, Width: 63.5 cm, Depth: 56 cm, Seat height: 47 cm. Condition: Good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. New orange upholstery and new white legs.