Georges Briard

Who was Georges Briard?

Georges Briard was an American award-winning designer in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He is most well known for his signature dishware and glassware - everything from cups and plates to gold plated serving dishes. Most famous for dishware and glassware, his signature collection was stocked at noted department stores, such as Neiman Marcus and Bonwit Teller.

Born Jascha Brojdo in the Ukraine, he moved to Chicago from Poland in 1937. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago where he earned his MFA, studying there while living in Oak Park with relatives. He served in the U.S. Army throughout World War II as a Russian interpreter. As an Army interpreter fluent in several languages, he served on Gen. George S. Patton's staff. In 1947, he was discharged from the Army and started working in New York with Max Wille, whom he had met in art school. Brojdo began painting metal serving trays for sale, and evidently Wille 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, but Georges Briard became his signature as a designer of these commercial articles, which were wildly popular and numerous.