nature
farmer, veterinarian,
lover living near New York City-was
Edward Marshall Boehm-a
and
con
vinced by his wife and friends to translate sorne ofhis clay
animal sculptures
inta pieces for possible sale to the gift
and art markets. Boehm recognized that porcelain was
the best medium for portraying his creations because of its
translucent beauty, permanence,
and fidelity of color as
weil as form. But the finest of the porcelains, hard pas te
porcelain, was largely a secret art about which litrle tech
existed. Boehm srudied this art relenrless
nicalliterature
knowledge
Iy, absorbing whatever
artbooks, museums,
and the few US. ceramic factaries offered. Then after
months of experimentation
basement, Boehm and sorne chemist
porcelain clay equal
in a dingy Trenton
friends devdoped
in the world.
to the finest
(NJ)
a
the complex
Next Boehm had to master
porcelain manufacture.
ture is a technical
step process is required to convert
into a completed
major creation
parts, and consumed
Sculptural
feather
art of
Each piece of porcelain sculp
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as well as artistic challenge. A 52
sculpture
one
to make 151
in the molels.
carved
tü
took 509 mold sections
8 tons of plaster
a plasticine
piece. For example,
barbs. Each creation
had ro be kiln-fired
60,000 individually
porcdain
included
detail
2400° where heat could change a graceful detail
inta a
twisted mass. Then it hacl ro be painted, often in suc
to anneal
cessive layers, and perhaps
in hard
delicate
colors. No American
fired repeatedly
had excelled
pas te parcelains. And when Boehm's
appeared no one understood
Iain or even bdieved
first
the quality of the porce
creations
it was hard paste porcelain.
But Boehm began ta crea te in porcelain what he
the more
knew and loved best, nature-particularly
Case copyright © 1976 by James Brian Quinn.
The generous cooperation of Edward Marshall Boehm, Inc.
is gratefully acknowledged.
forms of animaIs, birds, and flowers.
that special moment
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delicate
Boehm tried "to capture
ting which con veys the character,
ness of a bird or animal
ln his art
and set
and loveli
charm,
in its natural habitat." After
career
for several years during her
!eft an oLltstand
to "peddle" Boehm's
time. Saon Mrs. Boehm's extraordinary
skills, promotional
selling his early creations
lunch hours, his talented wife, Helen,
ing opthalmic marketing
porcelains
full
merchandising
rouch, and sense for
the art market began to pay off. People liked Boehm's
horses
his birds. And Boehm
agreeably complied,
striving for ever greater perfection
on ever more exotic and natural bird creations.
and dogs, but bought
as
become
complex
collecrars
By 1968 some Boehm porcelains
recognized
(especially birds)
items. An
piece like "Fondo Marino" might
and might command much
had
extremdy
sell for $28,500
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at retail,
more upon resale. Edward Marshall Boehm,
though flattered by his products'
commercial
considered his art primarily an expression ofhis love for
of por
nature. He felt
chickens
traying vanishing
with fidelity and traveled to remote areas ro bring back
live samples of rare tropical birds for study and la ter
rendering
into porceIain. A single company, Minton
China, was the exclusive distriburor of Boehm products
line
ta sorne 175 retail ourlets
in the U.S. Boehm's
then 55
success
like U.S. prairie
the ornithological
importance
species
series of smaller somewhat
usually selling for less than $100,
included (1) its "Fledgling"
(2) its
simplerpieces,
like the
profitable middle series of complex sculptures
"Snowy Owl" (see picture)
selling from $800 to $5,000,
and (3) its special artistic pieces (like "Panda Marino"
or "Ivory Billed Woodpeckers") which might
ini
tially for over $20,000.
sell
lndividual
Boehm porceIains were
being recognized as outstanding
sought by sorne sophisticated
artistic creations
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collectors. Production
increasingly
and
of
Edward Marshall Boehm,
CASE 1-1 119
Ine .•.
........•....................•.•..•.........•.....•.....•........•.•..............•......•.....•..........•.....•.•.•.•
.....................................................................................................................
seemed
no longer
such designs might be sold out for years in advance, but
it was difficult
pieces might
ta anticipate which
achieve this distinction. Many of the company's past
policies
the
Boehms wanted to further position the company for
the long run. When asked what the y wanted from the
"ta make the world
company,
aware of ML Boehm's artistic talent,
ta help world
wildlife causes by crearing appreciation and protection
for rhreatened species, and to build a continuing busi-
they would respond,
appropria te. And
ness that could make them comfortably wealthy, per
haps millionaires." No one goal had great precedence
over the others.
QUESTIONS
1. \YJhat strategy should the Boeh~f6iîbwt
2. Why?
..
120 CASE 1-1
..•.
Edward Marshall Boehm,
Ine.