Eames MBP Counter Stool

Quick Intro

What is an Eames MBP Arm & Side Counter Stool?

Released in 1957, the MBP series (first released as the 0700 stool series) were a group of single stemmed counter stools for the fiberglass chair tops and could be fitted with either the side, arm or even LA Fonda shells. The Eames MBP counter Stool was part of Herman Miller's seating for commercial installations, utilizing the plastic chairs for a great variety of uses.

We didn't include the rest of the steel and tubular frame commercial installation seating in the Wiki because they won't be found in the secondary marketplace. The MBP Stools however were semi-permanent as they could be successfully removed from their installation and new old stock has been found from time to time. The Eames MBP stools require bolting into the floor for stability and then these are hidden by the aluminum rose that covers and competes the design.

The stools had a high versatility for indoor commercial seating and were utilized in theaters, lectures halls, stadiums and even jury boxes. The Stools were available in a large number of height sizes, depending on the need, and also had varying options of swivel or even tilt.

Herman Miller's commercial fiberglass seating was available in any of the standard shell colors as well as the contract variants which were intended for order of more than 200 pieces. Buyers could also commission a color for large volume orders and some of these non book colors have been found over the years.

The availability and production for the Eames MBP Stools lasted for approximately a decade.

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Specification

What were the original sizes of the MBP Counter Stools?

As you would expect, given the variety of possible commercial installations, the number of heights and options for the Stool was great in number. The catalog excerpt below from 1959 shows some of the possible heights and choices and even the prices too:

Into the 1960's and the MBP stools were available with varying degrees of swivel and self returning mechanisms as the Herman Miller catalog excerpt below shows:

Buying Tips and Authenticity

The shells of the MBP Stools, whether arms or sides and in any of the generations, will all have had a variety of labels and stamps.
Whilst there are no maker marks on the MBP bases, they have certainly never been copied and they will always be authentic.
The bases are rare, many were destroyed when they were removed from their installations and counter and bar stools are becoming more and more popular now in the home environment. That said, they are still an acquired taste and desirable for a small market only. The base value however is reasonable because they are seldom found.
As with all shell chairs, it will be the color and condition of the fiberglass that will largely determine the value. Rarer colors drive higher prices and especially when the condition is good. Check the edges for dinks and chips, and cracks through the fiberglass.