The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity presents Past as Prologue, an exhibition spotlighting the seminal work Ray and Charles Eames created in the final decade of their collaboration. Opening during San Francisco Design Week in the newly revitalized Transamerica Pyramid Center, it marks the Institute’s first public installation beyond the Eames Archives and anchors a broader collaboration with SHVO and the Transamerica Pyramid Center to honor the Bay Area’s design legacy through a week-long program of events. 

Past as Prologue delves into the ongoing refinement and technical adaptation demonstrating how the Eameses continued evolving their design process to address emergent needs. The exhibition sheds light on the last decade of their working together which culminated in new furniture designs from the duo while showcasing their present-day classic designs and unearths some that the public has rarely viewed. 

The exhibition is accompanied by one of the Institute’s signature online showcases, extending its reach well beyond the gallery. The narrative opens in the late 1960s, when Ray and Charles Eames stood among the world’s most sought-after designers, and follows a decade in which they repeatedly returned to their core discipline: furniture.