Cepelia’s Bureau of Artistic and Folk Publications (1951–1953). Establishment, activity profile, and achievements

Abstract

The article covers the history, program assumptions, and achievements of the Cepelia’s Bureau of Artistic and Folk Publications (Biuro Wydawnictw Artystycznych i Ludowych, Polish abbreviation BWAiL), operating within the Headquarters of the Folk and Artistic Industry, Cepelia (abbreviation of the Polish name: Centrala Przemysłu Ludowego i Artystycznego). The Bureau, established in 1951, during the first years of Cepelia’s intensive expansion of its structures, managed to mark its presence on the Polish publishing map within less than three years of activity. For the following years, it set the direction of activities and the graphic level of publications related to the activities of Cepelia and its subordinate cooperatives. Only a few years’ worth of episodes in Cepelia’s publishing activity confirm the company’s serious ambitions, which explored not only native folklore but also areas beyond folklore and its interpretations in its mission to shape societal taste, even during the difficult time of socialist realism. The history of the Bureau of Artistic and Folk Publishing was compiled based on archival research (IS PAN and AAN).