The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity Launches Exhibit 04: Return to Sender, Showcasing Postcards from the Eames Collection
The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity has released a new online exhibition entitled Return to Sender. This exhibition is a continuation of the organization’s aim to preserve and share the work of Ray and Charles Eames. The Eames Collection, housed by the Institute, contains hundreds of postcards ranging from marketing materials Ray and Charles created for the Herman Miller Furniture Company to souvenirs they bought during their travels and items printed by third parties featuring their exhibitions and furniture. This selection of ephemera, presented on the Institute’s website as Return to Sender, represents a cross-section of the world of the Eameses—their designs; their family, friends, and associates; and the fandom that surrounded their work—all told through a few square inches of paper.
This exhibition features a variety of postcards either designed by, sent by, collected by, or featuring the work of Ray and Charles Eames. They paint a picture of the adventures they went on and the world they created, each a small memento of the inspiration they gathered as they interacted with the world. Ranging from their adventures worldwide to Jaipur or St. Petersburg, to furniture design advertisements, to correspondence between some of the most impressive people in their network, each postcard features a description providing context of the history behind it. The individual scans allow viewers to delve into Ray and Charles Eames worldview in a new way, providing a deep dive into their thoughts and communication across over 30 years. The postcards in the Eames Collection offer a glimpse into a bygone, but ubiquitous, form of communication that preceded the digital social media platforms we use for similar purposes today.