As a married couple, Charles and Ray Eames gave shape, literally, to America’s mid-to late 20^th century. Most of us know them as furniture designers, but they also designed hundreds of other products, from airplane stabilizers to magazine covers to various types of tools. The Eames Institute presently holds more than 40,000 artifacts including prototypes, products and items not originally designed to be retained or preserved but have been collected or retained.

Recently, with a new San Francisco Bay Area headquarters, Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is opening its vast collection to the public for the first time. Ticketed tours of the Eames Archives can be booked by the general public.

© Nicholas Calcott

Located in Richmond, California, the newly refurbished space has consolidated much of the Institute’s collection under one roof for the first time and created new opportunities for curation and exhibition of the most prized pieces.

Launched in March 2022, the nonprofit Eames Institute aims to inspire the public to engage in the practice of design by imparting the legacy of Ray and Charles Eames through physical installations, a strong digital presence and printed publications. The opening of this collection is a major turning point for the Institute and will enable the non-profit organization to better and more directly share the Eames’ work and lasting influence.

© Nicholas Calcott

The Institute’s new location will act as a permanent space for the public to experience the Eames Collection firsthand. It includes materials ranging from mass-produced furniture designs and unique one-of-a-kind prototypes to personal ephemera and private correspondence.

“It’s such a pleasure to expand the reach of the Eames Institute and further share the Collection with even more people” said Llisa Demetrios, chief curator and granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames. “The Eames Archives is so special to me because it holds the things my grandparents loved and cherished, it’s an absolute joy to finally be able to share these pieces in this way.”

© Nicholas Calcott

The Eames Institute’s internal teams collaborated with Brooklyn-based designers Standard Issue to create a unique display that enables visitors to experience this material as it has never been seen before. As home to a working collection overseen by a team of on-site specialists, the space also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the daily activities involved in preserving this cultural legacy.

At the conclusion of each tour, a selection of books, vintage items and design objects inspired by the Archives’ one-of-a-kind collection will be available for purchase by tour participants within the Institute’s new retail shop, with guided tours led by Llisa Demetrios. Tickets can be purchased at the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity website. The 90-minute tours are held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by appointment only. Tickets for the following month will be released on the first of each month.

© Nicholas Calcott

The Eames Institute is also responsible for Eames Ranch, a prototype for regenerative agriculture, water conservation and land stewardship, located in Petaluma, California. Lucia Eames, Charles’s daughter, purchased the property in 1992, and the William Turnbull-designed structures she built served as a home for her family and the collection they inherited from Ray and Charles until her passing in 2014. The Ranch is undergoing a multiyear site upgrade and extensive renovation to become fully accessible and more sustainable. The Institute’s ambition is for the property to serve as a destination for design lovers and a home for curious problem solvers in the coming years.