Sorry to obsess folks, but I'm having the hardest time finding any info about this company. So far I've counted about 8 different versions of the "Eames Style" lounger - but cannot find a product catalog, a website, or just about any information about Plycraft other than their address in Lawrence, MA. -They produced lounge chairs similar to the Eames 670. - George Mulhauser, Paul Goldman, Cherner designed products for them. -Their name may have changed to C.F.A at some point - altho searches for that have also come up dry. Anyone have any more info? Are they still in business, did they move? Has anyone seen a catalog? Any other designers work for them? Were they officially connected to Selig in Leominster, MA? As always - anything is helpful! Then & Now (via LIFE and Wikipedia) Since Mad Men entered season 4, Sterling Cooper & Partners (née Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce) has been located in Suite 3750 of the Time & Life Building. The group moved in at the end of 1964, about five years after the building opened in real life.
The building serves mostly as a backdrop, but bits of its history pop out here and there—for example, the chairs in the office are the Time-Life Chairs, designed specifically for that building. More on that, along with some other real life facts about the building, below. An original Time-Life chair goes for around $6,000. The chairs that were originally on every executive floor of the building were designed by Charles Eames, and manufactured by Herman Miller. They have become known as the Time-Life Chairs. In 1959, Eames asked Time-Life chairman Henry Luce "for photographs from the Time-Life archive to be used in a slideshow he was creating for the U.S. pavilion at the Moscow World Exhibition. Luce agreed, as long as Eames promised to return the favor one day. The following year, Eames made good on that promise, and 50 years later, the world is still enjoying the results of that arrangement." Look at all that Eames. These are the chairs you'll see in the Mad Men conference rooms, for the most part (Don had a different chair in his office).
They are still in production, though a fifth leg has been added—if you want one, you'll have to shell out over $3,000.(Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York) The Roxy Theatre was a 5,920 seat movie theater located at 153 West 50th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. Opening in 1927, it remained a popular movie and then stage theater through the 1950s, but when Rockefeller Center made its first expansion west of 6th Avenue, purchasing the air rights above the theater, it became a casualty of the corporate world. The Roxy was demolished in 1960 in order to make room for an office tower connected to the Time-Life building. A former trolley barn for the New York Railway Company and the Levy Building were also demolished, according to the Examiner. LA FONDA DEL SOL La Fonda Del Sol. (NYPL) This Latin-American themed restaurant opened in 1960 in the lobby of the Time-Life Building, and was run by the late Joseph Baum, who was the president of Restaurant Associates, and also known for the Four Seasons and Windows on the World.
The interior was stunning, designed by Alexander Girard (who was in charge of everything from logos to plates and beyond), and with furniture by Charles Eames. La Fonda Del Sol closed in 1971 and is was replaced with a bank branch. Hemisphere Club / Tower Suite (Library of Congress) The Hemisphere Club was a members-only restaurant during the day, located on the 48th floor of the 48-floor building. The public was invited in at night, however, when it turned into the Tower Suite. Some of the Mad Men characters dine here during season 5, in an episode called "At the Codfish Ball." The restaurant was also run by the aforementioned Baum, and when it opened in 1961, Craig Claiborne of the NY Times noted, "Although New York viewed from a great height is one of the most visually stunning places on earth, there are astonishingly few restaurants that take advantage of the fact." How true this remains! He also explained, "This is a restaurant for those with leisure. Because there is a sequence of six courses, the time required for dining is a minimum of two hours and it has, on occasion, stretched to three.
The public does not order the menu at the Tower Suite: The food is presented to the guests. The cost of a complete meal is $8.50." Hemisphere Club / Tower Suite bar (Library of Congress) In 1995, the NY Times noted: "Then there is the server who announces, 'Hi, my name is Jennifer and I'll be your waiter tonight.' What has become an annoying cliche was supposedly started at the Tower Suite in the Time & Life Building." The Hemisphere Club closed some time after that, though no one seems clear on the exact date. Time-Life Building office and bathroom, 1960s. The building itself was a partnership between Time, Inc. and Rockefeller Center, made in 1956, one year before ground broke on the project at 1271 Avenue of the Americas. The main architect was Wallace Harrison, of Harrison, Abramovitz, & Harris—he "borrowed from the sidewalks of Ipanema in his pavement design" (they look like this). Marilyn Monroe helped open the doors in the late 1950s: Click on image to zoom
Designer: Thomas Heatherwick for MagisUpright, the fascinating Spun Chair looks more like a sculptural vessel than a seat. But when it leans on its side, it forms a comfortable, functional chair that lets you rock side-to-side or spin around. Perfect for poolside or patio, family room or kids’ room. Available only in fun colors—bright red, dark purple, grey anthracite, and white. Configure Your Magis Spun Chair Add to Wish List Melding Function with Fancy The Spun Chair is just the kind of furniture you'd expect from one of the most innovative designers working today—Thomas Heatherwick. His aim, he says, is "to bring architecture, design, and sculpture together within a single practice." In the Spun Chair, Heatherwick artfully melds function with fancy. It's equally enjoyable as both sculpture and seat. And because it's made from rotational-molded plastic, you can sit, and spin, both outside and indoors. You've been added to our mailing list. Please enter a valid email address