When Sharon Lee Parker returned from the Vatican in May, she beamed with pride. A special meeting with Pope Benedict XVI had been arranged so that she could present the Vatican Museum with a 17-piece Presepio of nativity figurines and a special gift for the Pontiff’s desk—a porcelain bust of Pope John Paul II created for his impending beatification.
Boehm Porcelain’s sculptures have been presented to the Vatican by U.S. presidents. Muted Swans, valued at $150,000, sits outside the Sistine Chapel. Two Vatican Museum rooms are named for Edward Marshall and Helen Boehm, who donated funds for their creation.
Founded in 1950, in his basement studio in Trenton, New Jersey, by the late Edward Marshall Boehm, the business was about to be moved to China three years ago. The story of her saving the business is as heart warming as Sharon’s saving herself from cancer at the same time.
“I walked in to buy the Hope Porcelain Rose, and I bought the company,” she said.
“I happened to be in New Jersey. A doctor who was fighting cancer wanted the rose to present to his caregiver. I’ve coached cancer patients since 2004. …”
They were going to take the company to China. They didn’t care about the brand.
The memory brought emotion to Sharon’s face. She was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s disease and thyroid cancer in Houston, Texas. She also had a benign tumor on her brain. When her doctor transferred to the Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, Sharon followed.
“There was nothing better than having a Boehm rose next to the bed. You never have to water it,” she reminisced. During her chemotherapy in Houston, Sharon’s husband George brought her a Boehm porcelain rose.
“Boehm Porcelain is an American legacy spreading peace and beauty throughout the world. Boehm has been in Trenton for 62 years. There were many artisans in the Trenton area at one time. The kilns that heat these at 2,400 degrees are so big they cannot be moved,” explains Sharon.
With such passion and loyalty for the company, it’s no wonder Boehm has made an about-turn back to success.
“We have a treasure. Where are our children and grandchildren going to work if we outsource everything? Boehm Porcelain is a symbol of what is the finest, what is considered the finest American art sculpture in the country.”
Porcelains made in the Trenton factory are on display in 130 museums: the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, the White House, the Smithsonian Institution, the Hermitage Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum to name a few. They are on sale at retailers like Nieman-Marcus in Palm Beach.
Sharon met her husband, George Parker, when she was 9 years old. George’s family owned the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake, New York. “He was skiing without poles when I first saw him.” That impressed her, and they married when she was 19.
George studied architecture and eventually took over running the family hotel. They greeted thousands of guests and headliners every week.
Sharon and George have thrown themselves into the company. They rescued it and are revitalizing it as an American artistic treasure. “When we took over, there were four people working there. Now we have 20 and hire more part-timers around Christmas time. They were going to take the company to China. They didn’t care about the brand,” George said.
The Boehm collection includes florals, birds, religious objects, home collectibles like three dimensional plates, fish, and butterflies, and various wild animals.
Boehm is producing a Pure Jardin collection of delicate floral designs in pristine white. The pure-white porcelain is made by using organic algae to bind the porcelain, enabling detailed sculpting. The algae are burned away and dissipates during the firing process. The petals are thin, translucent, and luminous. The process can take weeks of intricate craftsmanship.
Patriot bald eagles appear to leap from their perches. Amazing Boehm creations of form and motion are true to the founder’s credo that “Boehm will create only true porcelain sculptures that are faithful to nature—perfect in every detail. No exceptions, no excuses, no maybes.”
An eagle porcelain with patriotic American flag was presented to the president to decorate the White House.
The legacy of Edward Marshall Boehm, continued by his late wife Helen, is alive and well. The torch has been passed to two loyal, steadfast, patriotic Americans, George and Sharon Lee Parker.
“We call ourselves the Boehm Team. We have fabulous artisans. Everything is handmade. They are all proud Americans,” Sharon said.
Boehm Porcelain is more than artistry. It is tradition and pride in craftsmanship that reflects a nation’s commitment to beautiful objects that radiate love and peace through symbolism. It is an American icon saved from extinction by two special people.
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