The very first toys designed by Charles and Ray for mass production were large head and body masks for children and adults. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, they used masks as props in exhibitions, photographs, and theatrical skits with friends. Then, they began developing large, brightly colored animal forms. Some bird, fish, and animal heads and bodies extended down the torso and could be worn as costumes. The masks were to be manufactured and sold as kits of die-cut shapes that could be colored and assembled by the buyer; however, the Eames Masks never made it to market.
