Muriel Joseph George--The Lady Behind Josef Originals

People that collect art work often do it since they're familiar with an artist's work and love what theysee. If you are going to commence a Josef Originals collection, it would be excellent that you should know something about the person associated with the product, Muriel Joseph George . Muriel was a designer from California who used to make jewelry out of Lucite. "Muriel of California" is what she called her company.

Throughout World War II, Lucite was not obtainable in the market. Instead of letting the scarcity of Lucite stop her business, Muriel commenced making her jewelry out of ceramics and before long was producing figurines. Having a special affection for animals and children, she began molding her figurines after them. She also designed other types of figurines such as angels.

After the war, Muriel began making pottery in her home's cellar. She then ordered labels for her exceptional brand of figurines. A possible crisis happened when Muriel obtained the labels, which mispelled Joseph to Josef; however, Muriel decided to make use of them anyhow, thus the Josef Originals was born.

Nonetheless, the Japanese, Muriel learned, were creating and selling their very own designs of her originals in the 1950s. This troubled the Muriel seriously as she didn't like people to believe the inferior types were, in truth, Josef Originals. Muriel then decided to make more intricate figurines as a counter-move, believing the elaborateness of hernewer figurines will be too complex to replicate. The problem with this solution, however, was that as the detail grew, so did the prices, meaning the average person could no longer afford them.

In the middle of the 1950s, Muriel met George Good who was instrumental in convincing her that it will be good business sense if the figurines were made in Japan. The two soon went into business together and the company was re-named. Josef Originals became the George-Good Corporation. Desiring to supervise the production of her figurines, Muriel went to Japan. Contented that they can create high quality figurines in Japan, Muriel went back to the United states to produce more unique styles for her figurines. Muriel's art ultimately found its way back to the market.

Muriel retired in 1981 and George Good acquired her share in the corporation. In 1985, Good sold the company to Applause, Inc. and even though they have not produced brand new pieces using the Josef Originals brand name, they do have a line that copies Muriel's original pieces.

People searching for Muriel's initial pieces may recognize them by the marking "M.J. George." Subsequent pieces have "Josef Originals" and the "C" at the bottom. Despite the fact that you will see a sticker labeled "Japan," do not forget that Muriel decided to have her later pieces manufactured in Japan. Truly serious lovers could also take advantage of a guidebook, which depicts photos of the original copies that Muriel created. Even though it could be hard for new collectors to figure out genuine originals, veteran enthusiasts have learned the right way to spot an authentic from an imitation.

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