Georges Briard

Jakub Brojdo was born in the Ukraine and raised in Poland. He changed his name to Jascha (Yascha) Brojdo when he moved to Chicago in 1937 to study at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he earned his MFA.

After serving in the U.S. Army throughout World War II he moved to New York and began painting metal serving trays signing them Brodjo. (quite a nice find for a collector). He was hired by his friend Max Wille, to create designs for the M. Wille Company, who came up with the name Georges Briard to mark commercial pieces. Brodjo was also a painter and would use his real name on his art pieces.

As Georges Briard, Brodjo became an American award-winning designer, his designs stocked at high end department stores, such as Neiman Marcus and Bonwit Teller.

Georges Briard designs became hugely popular throughout the 1950s to 70s, so it is prominent through many eras, but is most notable for the Mid Century Modern, Atomic & later 70s Kitsch designs. The Georges Briard signature can be found on everything from glass, ceramics, metal, wood, glasses, trays, coffee pots, dishes & more...

In 2004, Brodjo was awarded the Frank S. Child Lifetime Achievement Award by The Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators, in honor of his extraordinary contributions to the glass and ceramic decorating industry.

Brodjo died in 2005, in New York at age 88.