Eric Jacoby, designer, announces a new relationship with the Natural History Museum of Utah.

Eric Jacoby, designer, is announcing a unique relationship with the Natural History Museum of Utah. From June 29 thru September 15, 2019, the museum will be presenting an exciting exhibit titled: Yellowstone, Invisible Boundaries.

The exhibit is focused on the park’s migratory animals and the impact on their lives from within and outside the park’s boundaries. In support of the exhibit, the museum will be offering Eric Jacoby’s beautiful, handmade, wooden tectonic bison toys for sale in the museum shop. These durable, long-lasting toys capture the feeling of the American West and harken back to a time when these majestic creatures roamed the great plains in numbers reaching close to 60 million.

“Without a doubt, my favorite thing about Yellowstone National Park is the bison. It’s incredible for a creature to appear so elegant and peaceful but carry so much power and speed. But most of all, I am enamored with the architectural shape of their raked back.” – Eric Jacoby

Now the Yellowstone Bison is the only purebred bison remaining from the original species that once roamed freely in such massive numbers in North America. This iconic symbol of the American West is captured simply and beautifully by Eric Jacoby. Now, you can see the exhibit and take home a piece of our American heritage with one of Eric’s tectonic bison toys.

Modern Meets Old Fashion

Eric Jacoby has taken the idea of classic toys and given them a new twist. His toys call to mind a simpler time when toys with transparent technology were the norm. A classic style with a scientific eye. Eric has created toys, like the bison and tectonic toy grasshopper, bee and dragonfly, that not only look incredible, are durable but they spark the imagination in a very unique way. All of Eric’s toys are engineered to facilitate STEaM education.

STEaM is an approach to education which integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics. This approach has been shown to improve student’s critical thinking, open up more dialogue in the classrooms and produce more inquisitive, motivated students. With his tectonic toy designs, Eric is bringing the STEaM system out of the classroom and taking it into the home, where the education process can continue.

Three Toys, Three Systems

In addition to the Tectonic Bison, the museum shop will also carry three of Eric’s toy bugs which incorporate three different engineering systems in their construction and function. The Grasshopper illustrates the versatility of the parallelogram for controlling motion and stability with its kicking legs. The Dragonfly illustrates the transfer of force through rotation and gears with its alternating pivoting wings. And the Bee illustrates compound structural connections, and force vectors with its sliding actuated rotating wings. Beautiful, fun and educational toys made from biodegradable corn oil.

“Before the Tectonic Bison was a bison, it was an AT-AT (imperial walker) toy that I built with my son. I recognized potential in the materials and the design language but wanted to develop a toy sculpture with more meaning. I considered many animals but once the American Bison crossed my mind, I was sold. The bison has such an incredible story of longevity and sustainability – and with such a remarkably beautiful shape.” – Eric Jacoby

What’s Inside

Eric’s iconic bison toy was the result of a specific study of the bison’s skeletal structure. After dozens of sketches, he was able to see how the shoulder and the pelvis joints are relative to the animal’s overall form. Based on his study and sketching he was able to synthesize form and movement into the bison toy design.

The bison is constructed from remnant material from his furniture production, this material would otherwise go to waste. These lovely sculptural toys are highly durable and long-lasting so they can be passed on to future generations to enjoy and understand some of the history of the great American West. Hand-made in the USA, both the bison and the insects will be on sale in the Museum of Natural History of Utah’s museum shop all through the showing of the exhibit Yellowstone Invisible boundaries.

About Eric Jacoby Design

After working with Jacoby Architects for over 12 years as a Principal, Technical Director, and Project Manager, Eric Jacoby spun off with his own company, Eric Jacoby Design, where he explores his lifetime passion for product and furniture design.

Eric is dedicated to quality, refined details, and organization. Traits he fostered while working with his father in the wood/metal shop and perfected with his B.S. in Architecture from the University of Utah and a Master of Architecture Degree from the University of California Berkeley. He had a two-decade-long architectural career working in London, Amsterdam, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City and he still maintains his architectural license.

A passion for design, construction and quality control make Eric’s work eye-catching and uniquely beautiful. Visit his website for more designs and more information about his tectonic toys and his new partnership with the NHMU.