Although there is an Archive post showing examples of the Cybis studio’s publications and advertising, I did not delve into the actual relationship that Cybis had with its retailers. It turned out to be quite an interesting case study. The history of ‘modern’ (i.e., recognizable by most people) Cybis begins in the late 1950s, when [...]
I recently became aware that the New Jersey State Museum, which holds one of the largest surviving collections of Cybis porcelain, mounted an exhibit of 100 sculptures in memory of Marylin Chorlton. The curator of the collection was kind enough to send me the list of the pieces that formed the exhibit, which was held [...]
Although several disparate sources have described specific events in the life of Boleslaw Cybis either in print or online, this is the first time that a complete and detailed single timeline has been available online. I have constructed it from multiple sources in Poland and in the USA. 1895 – We begin with a discrepancy [...]
A rule of thumb regarding Cybis porcelains production was that – unlike many other studios – they did not physically put the name/title of the design on the piece itself. In fact, until a couple of years ago, I would have gone so far as to say they never did so...until I discovered three designs [...]
The Cybis studio published three lists that were titled ‘Cybis Porcelains Are in the Following Collections’. The first one appeared on the final page of the 1970 Cybis catalog and contains 24 names of museums and art centers; there are no governmental/state recipients listed, even though several Cybis pieces were presented to foreign leaders as [...]
As part of their efforts to educate their retailers about the process of producing Cybis porcelains, the studio decided to supply information about certain pieces they introduced during the mid-1980s. These info-sheets, titled Technical Achievements, were included with the various new-introduction brochures, price lists, and catalogs that were sent to retail stores. Although I have [...]
There are only two known instances when the Cybis studio ever licensed any of their designs to another manufacturer. Both of them were dolls produced by The Hamilton Collection during the early 1990s. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise because Cybis’ biggest rival, the Boehm studio, had been working with the Hamilton Collection ever [...]
In addition to the various catalogs, brochures, and price lists that made up the bulk of the Cybis studio’s advertising materials, there were also promotional items that weren’t readily available to the general public. One example is the Cybis-logo pin/pendant made by Terryberry and shown in the Cybis Jewelry post. Such items were created for [...]
This 200th post in the Cybis Archive is something different from the usual sculpture information. It is a glimpse into ‘life at the Cybis Studio' via photos and contemporary accounts through the decades. The very first Cybis studio was located in the Steinway Mansion in Astoria, NY; nobody who was there is alive today. It’s [...]
One might think that the only appearance of Cybis in the media was in advertising materials and occasional newspaper snippets, but that would fall short of the mark. Cybis porcelains have made cameo appearances within several works of fiction and nonfiction, plus at least one popular television series. Ideals Publishing Co. Gift Books The earliest [...]
THE CYBIS ARCHIVE 