Georges Briard is commonly seen as a signature on vintage barware and decorative plates, but who was he?
The quick answer- Georges Briard is actually brand! These pieces were designed by a man named Jakub Brojdo who was born on May 17th, 1917 (exactly 107 years ago today).
Jakub moved to the US from Poland in 1937, settling in Chicago, and changed his name to Jascha after completing school at the Art Institute. He served in the US Army as a Russian Interpreter on General George S. Patton’s staff during World World II. After the war, he began working with a former art institute classmate Max Wille, painting metal trays, barware, plates, and more for commercial sale. It was Max’s idea to brand the commercial pieces with the name Georges Briard, as Jascha was also a painter who signed his paintings with his own name. The Georges Briard line that Jascha designed became wildly popular in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s.
In 2004, The Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators awarded Jascha the Frank S. Child Lifetime Achievement in honor of his extraordinary contributions to the glass and ceramic decorating industry.
Jascha passed away on July 30th, 2005 in New York at the age of 88. As today marks 107 years that Jakub Brojdo (aka Jascha Brojdo and Georges Briard) was born, we figured we would share some love for one of our favorite barware designers.
Thank you for your amazing designs and Happy Birthday Jascha!
Sources:
Georges Briard. Greenari Vintage. (2025, January 17). https://greenarivintage.com/georgesbriard/
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc9Q8vQUBKQ
