Icons: The Saarinens

Eero on Eliel Saarinen's shoulders in 1912.  Eric on Eero Saarinen's shoulders in 1943.

Like father, like son.

Via Knoll:

Eero Saarinen, known for his soaring, futuristic architecture and furniture of the industrial era, is the son of Eliel Saarinen, another master architect. The two shared a birthday, not to mention a passion for building and craft. Like father, like son:

From the moment the 3-year-old boy crawled under the drafting table in the ample studio-house in Hvitträsk and started to draw, there was no doubt in the elder Saarinen’s mind that his son would be an architect. The common pattern—especially in America—would have been to preserve one’s individuality and independence by rebellious escape into another profession. “But,” Eero says wonderingly, “except for a brief excursion into sculpture it never occurred to me to do anything but follow my father’s footsteps.”  Louchheim, Aline B. “Now Saarinen the Son.” The New York Times 26 Apr. 1953.

Back row L to R: Eero Saarinen, Lily Swann Saarinen, Florence Schust Knoll.  Middle row: Eliel Saarien, Loja Saarinen and Hans Knoll.  Front: Eric Saarinen on rocking horse.  Copyright Cranbrook Archives, Saarinen Family Papers

Eames, Eero and Aline Saarinen, 1958.  Photos courtesy Eero Saarinen Collection, Yale University Library, copyright Tony Vaccaro Photography

Part 9 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.