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The resulting design is sculptural yet functional and could be mass produced. With access to military technology and manufacturing, the designers were able to develop the design to create their first mass-produced product. By 1945, 150,000 had been produced.\n\nThe shape of the splint serves two important functions: comfortable support and a stacking form to facilitate safe shipping. The holes in the splint relieve stress on the moulded plywood to prevent splitting and provide easy access to thread the bandages that secure the leg to the splint. The splint's biomorphic form evokes the Eames' subsequent influential plywood furniture designs.","physicalDescription":"A leg splint constructed of moulded plyformed wood made from one piece with a shaped section for the foot and heel and slots for bandages to secure the leg in place.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Eames, Charles","id":"A6738"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Eames, Ray","id":"A6739"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Evans Products Company","id":"A21060"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"birch plywood","id":"x33282"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"AAT53134"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded 5-ply birch plywood","categories":[{"text":"Health","id":"THES48942"},{"text":"War","id":"THES257202"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2016JE0281","2016JE0268","2016JE0269","2016JE0270","2016JE0271","2016JE0272","2016JE0273","2016JE0274","2016JE0275","2016JE0276","2016JE0277","2016JE0278","2016JE0279","2016JE0280","2016JE0282","2016JE0283","2016JE0284"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES341220"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"leg splint","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Los Angeles","id":"x29541"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1942","earliest":"1937-01-01","latest":"1946-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"107.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"10.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'S2-1790'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Marked on the inside of the splint with the stock number"}],"objectHistory":"The Eames Leg Splint was an innovative re-design of the medical support apparatus and made a significant contribution to the World War II effort.\n\nThis leg splint was included in ‘Values of Design’ at the V&amp;A Gallery, Design Society  in Shenzhen, China in 2017.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Leg splint, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, manufactured by Evans Products Company, moulded plywood, 1941-1942 (designed)","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Wilk, Christopher.<u> Plywood: A Material Story.</u> London: Thames & Hudson / V&A, 2017","id":"AUTH345215"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Text from <i>Plywood: Material of the Modern World</i> (15 July-12 November 2017)\n\nPLYWOOD LEG SPLINT\n\r\nAmerican designers Charles and Ray\r\nEames experimented with plywood during\r\nthe Second World War. In 1942 the US\r\nNavy commissioned them to design a\r\nlightweight leg splint that was stackable\r\nand could float. They produced this\r\nplywood splint, made from five veneer\r\nlayers each cut to a slightly different\r\nshape. Up to 150,000 splints were\r\nmanufactured, and the Eames’s work\r\non this project greatly influenced their\r\nfurniture design.\n\nLEG SPLINT\r\nAbout 1942\r\nDesigned by Charles (1907–78) and\r\nRay Eames (1912–88)\r\nManufactured by the Evans Products Company,\r\nMolded Plywood Division\r\nLos Angeles, USA\r\nMoulded 5-ply birch plywood\n\r\nV&amp;A: W.31-2016\n\r\nTHE MANUFACTURE OF THE EAMES LEG\r\nSPLINT, FROM CUTTING VENEERS (ABOVE)\r\nTO MOULDING (BELOW)\r\nPhotographs taken at the Evans Products Company,\r\nMolded Plywood Division\n\r\n© 2017 Eames Office LLC (eamesoffice.com)\n\nText from <i>Values of Design</i>, V&amp;A Gallery, Design Society, Dec 2017 - August 2019\n\nMoulded Plywood\n\nPlywood is made by gluing together thin layers of wood, each layer oriented 90 degrees to its adjacent layer. As plywood grew into a major industry in the 1900s, designers found the material attractive as it was cheap, available, and could be steam-bent into a variety of shapes. During the Second World War, Charles and Ray Eames experimented with moulding plywood to produce leg splints. It was subsequently used in many popular furniture designs of the 1950s and 60s.\n\nLeg Splint\nCharles and Ray Eames\nUSA, 1941-1942\n\nGiven by Christopher Monkhouse","date":{"text":"2017","earliest":"2017-01-01","latest":"2017-12-31"}},{"text":"Text from <i>Plywood: Material of the Modern World</i> (15 July-12 November 2017)\n\nPLYWOOD LEG SPLINT\n\r\nAmerican designers Charles and Ray\r\nEames experimented with plywood during\r\nthe Second World War. In 1942 the US\r\nNavy commissioned them to design a\r\nlightweight leg splint that was stackable\r\nand could float. They produced this\r\nplywood splint, made from five veneer\r\nlayers each cut to a slightly different\r\nshape. Up to 150,000 splints were\r\nmanufactured, and the Eames’s work\r\non this project greatly influenced their\r\nfurniture design.\n\nLEG SPLINT\r\nAbout 1942\r\nDesigned by Charles (1907–78) and\r\nRay Eames (1912–88)\r\nManufactured by the Evans Products Company,\r\nMolded Plywood Division\r\nLos Angeles, USA\r\nMoulded 5-ply birch plywood\r\nV&amp;A: W.31-2016\n\r\nTHE MANUFACTURE OF THE EAMES LEG\r\nSPLINT, FROM CUTTING VENEERS (ABOVE)\r\nTO MOULDING (BELOW)\r\nPhotographs taken at the Evans Products Company,\r\nMolded Plywood Division\n\r\n© 2017 Eames Office LLC (eamesoffice.com)","date":{"text":"2017","earliest":"2017-01-01","latest":"2017-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.31-2016"],"accessionNumberNum":"31","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":2016,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JA0697"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2015-11-17","availableToBook":true}}