Mathematica / Henry Ford Museum

Mathematica: A World of Numbers and Beyond at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan.

IBM was asked by the California Museum of Science and Industry to contribute a display to its new wing, which would open in 1961. IBM hired the Eames Office, who had already made a number of films for them. Charles and Ray Eames were assisted by Gordon Ashby and John Neuhart; designers. Dr. John Redheffer; consultant. Parke Meek, Jeremy Lepard; film production. Displaymasters, Seale Design, and Remanco; construction.  UCLA’s Dr. Raymond Redheffer, was the math consultant who helped with the concepts.

One of the best kept secrets in science is how unpompous scientists are at their science, and the amount of honest fun that for them is part of it. In doing an exhibition, as in Mathematica, one deliberately tries to let the fun out of the bag. The catch is that it can't be any old fun but it must be a very special brand. The excitement, or joke, must be a working part of the idea. The fun must follow all the rules of the concept involved. - Charles Eames

The Eames office would make three versions of the exhibition. The first version was removed from the California Museum of Science and Industry in 1998 and is now installed in the New York Hall of Science. The second is owned by the Museum of Science in Boston. The Henry Ford now has the third version which was originally at the 1964 World's Fair. After that, it went to the Time-Life Building and then to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle before going back to IBM on Madison Ave in New York. It finally became the property of the Eames family and then the Henry Ford.

The Henry Ford acquired Mathematica from the Eames Office. After some restoration, it opened to the public in 2017.

Kristen Gallerneaux, Curator of Communication & Information Technology, said the Henry Ford team was able to find the exact same gate manufacturer that was used on the original installation.

You might have to be a mathematician to count the number of typefaces used in the design. It's so good.

Apparently, 1960s kids were able to get inside the exhibit to play with a soap solution that adhered to wire frames to illustrate minimal surfaces theory.

Not today.

Mathematica is just the tip of the Eames iceberg at The Henry Ford.

They also have the Eames-designed pavilion, also from the 1964 IBM Pavilion at the NY World’s Fair.  

Source: Eames Office

And we can't forget the earliest shell in existence. The John Wills fiberglass shell is the sole surviving example of the first two Eames fiberglass shells ever made. This is pre-Zenith Plastics. The shell sits is on the original  trash can base used by boat builder Wills in his shop in San Diego! More about that, here.

Wait until we go downstairs with Kristen Gallerneaux to see all the Eames in storage. That's coming up in a future post.