India Independence / Eames
Today, August 15th, is the 66th anniversary of the end of British rule over India. Ten years later, in 1957, the Indian government asked the Ford Foundation to invite Charles and Ray Eames to India. For three months Charles and Ray traveled the country and met with artists, writers, craftspeople, architects and people from industry. What came of this, was The India Report. One of the key recommendations was to establish the National Institute of Design (NID). With help from the Ford foundation, the institute opened in 1961. The Eames would have a lifelong relationship with the institution.
Source: NID
Eames photo taken on their 1958 trip to India.
Source: Library of Congress
Eames Office at NID, 1964
(A great blog with a detailed account of the Eames's relationship with the NID)
Charles back in India, 1978
Source: Design for India
Charles in India, 1978. He died later that year.
Source: India Art N Design
Ray at the Eames Award Ceremony in 1988 at NID. The area is now called the Eames Plaza.
Ray died later that year --10 years to the day after Charles.
Source: Design for India
Eames Plaza
Source: India///Diary