Blenko Glass Company

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Blenko Glass Company
FormerlyEureka Art Glass
Company typePrivate
Industry Glassware
Founded1922 (1922)
FounderWilliam J. Blenko
Headquarters
Milton, West Virginia
Key people
William J. Blenko, William H. Blenko Sr.
Productshand-blown glassware
OwnerBlenko family
Number of employees
160 (1965)
Website www.blenko.com

Blenko Glass Company is an art glass company that began producing in 1922 under the name Eureka Art Glass Company. The company name was changed to Blenko Glass Company in 1930. Originally an antique flat glass company, it was founded by Englishman William J. Blenko (1854-1933). Blenko came to the United States to make glass in 1893. Over the next 25 years, he established glass factories in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia—which all failed. His fourth glass factory, that began production in 1922, was a success and still operates today (2024). This factory is located in Milton, West Virginia, and Blenko family members still lead the company.

Contents

William Blenko could make numerous colors of flat glass, and his products were used by other companies to make stained glass windows. The glass was made using a patented variation of an older method for making window glass called the cylinder method. Blenko used glassblowers that blew a glass cylinder into a mold. The cylinder was cut and flattened in an oven. All glassblowing was done by human glassblowers instead of a machine. The company's biggest challenge was to get purchasers of glass to accept an American-made product, and Blenko's three earlier failed glass works all had the same problem.

Blenko's son William H. Blenko (1897-1969) joined the company in 1923. The Great Depression in 1929 caused a decrease in demand for antique window glass, so the younger Blenko was instrumental in getting the company to begin producing glassware in addition to flat glass. This was a successful endeavor as the company utilized the vast skill set the elder Blenko had for making numerous colors of glass. During the 1940s the company established the practice of employing a designer, and the designer's creations were sold as art glass—a subset of glassware. Production of glassware and flat glass also continued. The company survived difficult times during the 21st century, including a management change and a bankruptcy. Today, Blenko glassware and art glass are valued by collectors, and both are still produced in the West Virginia glass works.

Three failures

First try

1895 map with Kokomo circled Map of the Indiana natural gas field with Kokomo circled and state inset.png
1895 map with Kokomo circled

William John Blenko, the founder of Blenko Glass Company, was born in London during 1854. At the age of 10 he began working as an apprentice in a London bottle glass works, where he learned the basics of glassmaking. [1] He studied chemistry and learned to produce sheet glass. [2] Producing glass in England, he shipped his product to the United States. [3] Blenko's first attempt to start a glass factory in the United States was in Kokomo, Indiana, during January 1893. His plant site was adjacent to the Belt Railroad, and he brought his own equipment. [4] [Note 1] An 1896 insurance map shows a small unnamed glassworks next to the Belt Railroad that was very small compared to the other two glassworks in town. [6] [Note 2]

Blenko's Kokomo glass business failed after about ten years. [1] The reasons for the failure are: (1) an economic depression (the Panic of 1893) and additional recessions throughout the decade; (2) increased foreign competition because of the Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act of 1894; and (3) Americans believed that European glass was superior. [7] It is believed that Blenko resorted to shipping his glass to England, and then back, to give the appearance of European glass that appealed to potential customers. [1] [Note 3] After the business failed, Blenko and his family moved back to London during July 1905. [9] [Note 4] Producing the same glass in England, Blenko was able to sell his imported glass to glass studios in the United States. [11] Blenko and family returned to the United States about 14 months later, and decided to have a permanent home in Pennsylvania. [12]

More tries

Clarksburg - July 1911 BlenkoAntiqueArtGlassCompany.png
Clarksburg - July 1911

Blenko's next attempt to start a glass works in America was at Point Marion, Pennsylvania. A fire insurance map published September 1909 shows a small "Blenko Glass Works" located near the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line along with several other glass factories. [13] Blenko abandoned this glass works when he built a factory in Clarksburg, West Virginia, where fuel was cheaper. Construction of the Clarksburg glass works began during late summer 1911. [14] A significant factor in the 1913 failure of the Clarksburg works, known as the Blenko Antique Art Glass Company, was the Underwood-Simmons Act that reduced the tariff rate on imported glass. [15]

William Blenko advertisement in a glass trade magazine July 1917 BlenkoAd1917.png
William Blenko advertisement in a glass trade magazine July 1917

After the third failure, Blenko remained in the United States. A 1916 newspaper notice shows that a William Blenko had a telephone line in Lancaster, Ohio. [16] A stained glass trade magazine for July 1917 contained an advertisement at the bottom of page one that simply said "Antique - if you want any, address W. Blenko" with an address of Follansbee, West Virginia. [17] By July 1920 Blenko was apparently living on Wheeling Street in Lancaster, Ohio. He posted in classified advertising that he wanted a position in glassmaking, and that he could make "every variety of color including opal and opalescent". [18]

Early History

Eureka Art Glass

Advertising for Blenko using original name, Eureka Art Glass, in 1926 EurekaArtGlass1926.png
Advertising for Blenko using original name, Eureka Art Glass, in 1926

In the January 1922 edition of a glass trade magazine, it was noted that a "W. Blenko, of Lancaster, Ohio" recently purchased land at Huntington, West Virginia, and he expected a plant for the manufacture of colored antique glass would be operating by mid-March 1922. [19] Blenko named his new glass business Eureka Art Glass Company. [1] [Note 5] By 1923 the company was listed as an antiques and specialties business, and it had eight employees. [21] A new Eureka employee was William Henry Blenko Sr., who joined his father's company during the year. Born in 1897, he has been described as "energetic and commercially astute" and an important contributor to the company's success. [22]

Instead of using the new automated Colburn process to make flat glass, or the Lubbers machine to blow the glass without human glassblowers, Blenko's antique flat glass was made using a variation of the older cylinder method. Blenko's process involved hand blowing the glass into a cylinder inside of a mold, cutting the glass lengthwise, and flattening it in an oven—a system that made the glass appear old. [23] William Blenko filed for a patent on this process in 1924, and the patent was granted in 1926. [24]

Another innovation for the elder Blenko was his 1924 success in developing a formula for ruby-red glass that could be reheated without altering its color. [20] By 1926, Eureka Art Glass could replicate most of the glass used in old European stained glass windows. [25] Among places using Eureka Art Glass for its stained glass windows in 1927 was the Liverpool Cathedral in England. [26] Business improved enough that in 1928 plans were made to erect a larger plant. [27]

Glassware production begins

1928 advertisement for Carbone CarboneImporter.png
1928 advertisement for Carbone

An economic depression began in the United States during August 1929, becoming known as the Great Depression. [28] The downturn caused a sharp decrease in demand for stained glass. To keep the business from failing, William Henry Blenko championed producing an additional line of glass: decorative glassware. [29] Because the Blenkos only knew how to make flat glass, they hired two Swedish-American brothers from the Huntington Tumbler Company to train Eureka employees in glassware production. The brothers were Louis Miller (a finisher) and Axel Muller (a glassblower), and they had been trained at the Kosta glass works in Sweden. [20]

The Eureka glassware products were originally sold by Carbone and Sons of Boston, which was a reseller of high-quality Italian goods. Eureka wares had Italian and Scandinavian influences on the designs, and took advantage of the company's ability to create hundreds of shades of colored glass. Carbone's sales brochure called the glassware "Kenova" glass, and said it was made in the foothills of West Virginia by foreign craftsmen. [2] Aware that glassware made by Eureka Art Glass could have trouble competing with European makers, an editorial in the May 1932 issue of Carbone's sales brochure known as The Shard described tool marks and unevenness in hand blown glassware as qualities to be desired. The writer of the article was "W.H.B", and one author says the writer was "presumably William Henry Blenko". [2]

Big changes in 1930s

Colonial Williamsburg glass display Blenko Williamsburg.jpg
Colonial Williamsburg glass display

Eureka Art Glass Company was renamed Blenko Glass Company during August 1930. [20] An advertisement in the December 1931 edition of a Charleston newspaper said that "distinctive and different hand made" glassware could be purchased at the Milton factory, and used the name Blenko Glass Company. [30] During 1932, Blenko glass was used for windows in the American Memorial chapel on the Meuse-Argonne battlefield at Romagna, France. The artists designing the windows preferred the Blenko glass because of the colors available and the texture of the glass. [31] William J. Blenko died suddenly on November 24, 1933, at the age of 79. [32] His son, William Henry Blenko Sr. became company president. [33]

After discussions that occurred in 1936, the Blenko Glass Company was contracted in 1937 to produce all glass reproductions for the Colonial Williamsburg restoration project. [34] [Note 6] The original quality and shapes of the Williamsburg glassware were determined by glass fragments found on site. Using the company's old-style process, Blenko glassblowers were able to replicate the original glassware. [37] For its own line of glassware, the company began producing a somewhat rectangular water bottle in 1938, and it is still being produced in the 21st century. [38]

Post war history

Map showing Blenko factory in 1944 BlenkoFactory1944InsMap.png
Map showing Blenko factory in 1944

During 1947 the company hired Winslow Anderson as its first full-time designer, and the company began to establish itself as a leader in contemporary art glass. [22] [Note 7] During the same year, the company received a new charter on May 1. The firm was incorporated by William H. Blenko, Marion H. Blenko, and William H. Blenko Jr. with a capitalization of $250,000. [40] [Note 8] William H. Blenko Jr. had joined the company in 1946—a third generation of the Blenko family. [22]

The Blenko Glass plant employed 115 people near the end of 1950. Daily production was about 1,000 square feet of stained glass sheets and about 3,000 pieces of glassware. William H. Blenko Sr. was the president, and his son William H. Blenko Jr. was company secretary and plant manager. [42] The factory was producing about 280 types of glassware that was sold by retailers throughout the world. Its flat glass was produced in about 1,000 different tints. [43]

In 1955 Blenko Glass became the first American manufacturer of a thick slab type of glass previously made in France and known as dalle de verre. [44] Blenko's dalle de verre was used in the 1964 New York World's Fair at the Hall of Science. [45] By the beginning of 1965, Blenko had grown to 160 employees, and continued to produce glass using its handcrafted method. [46]

Visitor Center

Blenko Glass Company Visitor Center in 2006 Blenko Glass Visitor Center.jpg
Blenko Glass Company Visitor Center in 2006

A visitor center was dedicated in 1966. The two-story building has an outlet on the first floor that sells factory seconds that have minor flaws. The upstairs is a museum with products on display such as stained glass, the Colonial Williamsburg restoration glass, and collectable pieces. It is also the starting point for tours of the factory. [47]

The completion of the tourist facility enabled William H. Blenko Sr., chairman of the board of Blenko Glass, to realize his wish of a visitor center. [47] He died nearly three years later on March 11, 1969. [48] His son, William H. Blenko Jr., became company president. [45] In 1972, the Blenko Visitor Center and Museum was visited by as many as 2,000 people per day during the tourist season. [49] Stained glass windows made by Blenko were still popular in 1974, and a major reason was the "vivid, clear colors" of the glass. [50]

End of the 20th century

The company made glassware used at President Ronald Reagan's inaugural dinners in 1981. During the 1980s and 1990s, the company became the manufacturer of various award trophies, such as the Country Music Award and an Indy Racing League award. [33] Because of high prices for natural gas and inexpensive imports, 1982 was a difficult year for glass makers. [51]

1990s

Blenko glassware Blenko glassware ruby and clearCropped.jpg
 Blenko glassware

By 1990, Blenko was one of the few glass factories still operating in West Virginia. [52] As of 1995, about 30 percent of Blenko's business was flat glass such as hand-blown window panes. The remaining 70 percent was glassware such as bottles, vases, and lamps. Blenko Glass Company employed about 130 workers. [53] Blenko had produced the glass globes for lights at the United States Capitol, and was involved with replacement windows for the White House. Blenko glassware was sold at Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Sharper Image. [53]

Richard D. Blenko had joined the company in 1976, and he represented the fourth generation of the Blenko family. He became president of the company in 1996. [33] He often promoted Blenko glassware by making appearances at retailers to interact with customers. He was also involved with documentary films about the company. [54] Near the end of the century, a PBS documentary called "Hearts of Glass" was released that described William J. Blenko's quest to produce glass in the United States. [55] Additional documentaries were produced years later, such as "Blenko Retro: Three Designers of American Glass" and "Blenko - Spirit of American Stained Glass". [56]

21st century

Water bottles in a variety of colors were still the company's most popular product. [57] A problem for Blenko was that glassmaking in the United States had begun a gradual decline in the 1990s. [58] In 2003 Dean Six, curator of the West Virginia Museum of American Glass, believed that it was not foreign competition that was causing financial problems for American glass factories. He said the problem was that people "weren't buying glass at all". [59] He also said that plastic did not exist 100 years ago, and people stopped having family meals after World War II. [59]

Great Recession

Blenko 384 Water Bottles Blenko384IceBlue.jpg
 Blenko 384 Water Bottles

The Great Recession, beginning in December 2007 and ending in June 2009, accelerated the American glass industry's decline. [60] In late September 2008, Blenko Glass Company changed its leadership. Company president Richard Blenko left the company and was replaced by Walter Blenko Jr. The reason given for the change was "changing market conditions". [61] By January 2009 Blenko considered bankruptcy and stopped producing glass on January 30. [62] After the shutdown, orders increased and Blenko was able to resume glassmaking. By August, the company was providing employment to about 50 people. [63]

Many of the products made by the art glass companies such as Blenko are discretionary instead of necessary, and discretionary spending is muted in a recession. [58] On May 12, 2011, Blenko Glass Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but the company still planned to continue producing and selling glass. [64] By August 2012, the company's situation improved because of lower natural gas prices and a surge in sales. [65] In December, a judge approved a reorganization plan. [66] The company began a customer focus on middle- to high-income women between the ages of 30 and 50. It began using more social media and videos to promote its products. [67] With its new focus, the company relied less on department stores, and more on internet sales and merchandisers that would sell Blenko glassware via the internet. [68]

COVID and the flatwoods monster

Walter Blenko Jr., president of Blenko Glass Company, died on August 11, 2019—just a few months before the country began a struggle with the COVID pandemic of 2020 and the recession it caused. [69] He was replaced by John W. Blenko, who had joined the company as vice president during 2016. [70] The COVID-19 recession began in February as governments shut businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease, and it lasted until April of the same year. Although it was one of America's shortest recessions, it was also one of the deepest as Gross Domestic Product dropped 31.4 percent. [71] Blenko Glass shut down for several months beginning in March. All 48 employees were laid off. In June, the company began to gradually reopen to produce glassware, and most of the workforce was hired back by August. The company was helped by a $250,000 (equivalent to $294,329in 2023) loan from the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program. [72]

Blenko Glass survived, and even prospered, in part because of a new product: a figurine of West Virginia's mythical Flatwoods monster. The product was 16.5 inches tall, and was colored clover green and ruby red. Production was limited to about 800 pieces, and the figurine was popular among millennials—a new market segment. The product was priced at $129 (equivalent to $152in 2023), much higher than most of the company's other products. Sales of the Flatwoods monster enabled the company to have its most profitable year in two decades. [72] By 2024, Blenko was still making glassware, and it had ten furnaces to make its glass. [73]

Selected products and designers

Blenko Glass Company has made numerous products, which can be viewed by reviewing the company catalogs posted on the company web site. [Note 9] Several items are typically mentioned in books or newspaper articles. First, the company's stained glass was known worldwide for its use in cathedrals and churches. [75] Second, the 384 Water Bottle is often mentioned and is usually the company's biggest seller. [76] Third, since 1947 the company has hired designers to create unique glassware. [77] Last, the company has produced limited-edition collectible glassware that honors the state of West Virginia. [78]

Stained and flat glass

Stained glass window made by Franklin Art Glass Studios using Blenko glass Blenko colored glass used by Franklin Art Glass Studios to make a stained glass window.jpg
Stained glass window made by Franklin Art Glass Studios using Blenko glass

Blenko's flat glass was used by its customers to make stained glass windows. [43] After World War I Blenko glass (named Eureka at the time) was used to rebuild the Reims Cathedral in France. [79] The Hall of Science at the 1939 New York World's Fair used Blenko glass. [80] During the first three decades of the company's existence, Blenko stained glass was used at the Washington National Cathedral, Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, and the Duke University Chapel. [81] By 1950 the Blenko glass factory was producing flat glass in about 1,000 different tints that was shipped all over the United States and Canada. [43]

It was noted that in 1958 the Blenko glass works was the only one in the United States that hand blows church window glass. [11] At least part of the glass used in the United States Air Force Academy Chapel, completed in 1962 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was supplied by Blenko. [82] Blenko stained glass was also used in secular places such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and Grant's Tomb. [83] The process for making antique flat glass involved a glassblower blowing glass into a mold the shape of a cylinder. The cylinder's ends were cut off, the it was split lengthwise. Then it was reheated and flattened into a sheet of glass available in about 1,100 shades. [11]

In 1992 Blenko Glass was selected to produce replacement window panes for the White House. To have the replacement windows look similar to the antique windows still in place, the White House needed a manufacturer that made window glass the old hand-blown way that was used to make the existing panes. Blenko was the only domestic manufacturer that still used the older method. At that time, the company was still producing flat glass blown to look antique, and it could create over 1,300 colors. [84]

384 Water Bottle

Blenko384waterbottle.jpg
Blenko 384 water bottle planet mercury colors.jpg
Blenko 384 Water Bottle

The Blenko 384 Water Bottle was first designed in 1938. The number "384" means that it was the fourth design during 1938. The bottle's narrow shape was designed to fit in the door of a somewhat new innovation: the "electric icebox" now known as a refrigerator. The bottle has two pouring spouts and an indentation in its center that makes it easy to hold. [85] Often called the "iconic" 384 Water Bottle, it is the company's biggest seller. [86]

Most of the molds used by Blenko are made of wood. The molds used for the 384 Water Bottle are metal because the high quantity produced would cause the company to need to replace a wooden water bottle mold every two days. [38] The 384S Water Bottle, which has straight optic lines on the glass, was featured in the Holiday Gift Guide section of the December 2013 edition of Martha Stewart Living magazine. [87]

Glassware designers

Winslow Anderson display BlenkoWAnderson.jpg
Winslow Anderson display

Blenko employed its first designer in 1947 when it hired ceramicist Winslow Anderson. Anderson helped the company establish a reputation with award–winning contemporary glassware. Anderson left Blenko for Lenox China around 1953. [22] [Note 10] The company's next designer was Wayne Husted, who further modernized the look of Blenko glassware. His decanters were colored flamboyantly, which set a trend for the company that continues. [22]

Joel Philip Myers succeeded Husted as Blenko's director of design in 1963. [20] By now the company had a reputation as one of the world's top art glass companies. Myers was unique in the United States because he was believed to be the only designer that blew his own glass. He designed about 40 items per year, and 2,000 to 3,000 copies of each design were produced. [90] [Note 11] One collector considers Myers to be "Blenko's most famous and accomplished designer" and "one of the most exhibited and recognized glass artists in the world". [2] In the early 1970s Meyers left the company to join the faculty at Illinois State University. [91] [Note 12]

Other designers for Blenko were John Nickerson from 1972 to 1975, and Don Shepherd from 1975 to 1988. [91] [Note 13] Hank Murta Adams was designer from 1988 to 1994, and Matthew Carter from 1994 to 2002. [93] Former designer Wayne Husted re-established a relationship with Blenko in 2001. [94] One of his designs for 2002 was called Patriot, which was inspired after the events of September 11, 2001. The glassware pieces were hand-blown with red and blue glass. [95] Another designer that worked with Blenko was Arlon Bayliss, and by 2016 he was in his tenth year of designing Blenko glassware that commemorates West Virginia Day. [96] A team of two designers that began working with Blenko in late 2017 were Emma Walters and Andrew Shaffer, and they continued the relationship until March 2020. [67] Designer and illustrator Liz Pavlovic partnered with the company in 2020 to create the limited edition Flatwoods monster glass piece. [97] In 2024, Blenko worked with guest artist Don Pendleton, a graphic artist and West Virginia native. [98] The company's creative director, James Arnett, designed the 2024 West Virginia Day art glass piece. [99]

West Virginia Day

West Virginia Day pieces BlenkoLimitedEdition.jpg
West Virginia Day pieces

Each year, Blenko Glass produces a limited-edition piece of glassware that becomes available around West Virginia Day. Production is limited to one for each year the state of West Virginia has existed. The tradition began in 1980. For 1980, West Virginia celebrated its 117th birthday, so Blenko produced 117 copies of a commemorative bowl. [100] As an example, Blenko's 1995 design was a cobalt blue vase with clear handles, and it was sold at a Charleston department store. Customers lined up to make their purchase about 90 minutes before the store opened at 10:00 am. Because it was honoring the state's 132nd birthday, 132 pieces were produced. [78]

Another example of the Blenko West Virginia Day piece is the 2016 version, which was called "Patience's Prize". It was a pale green vase that looked like a fish jumping into water. The vase honored West Virginia's outdoors and fishing. It was 14 inches tall and designed by Arlon Bayliss. Because West Virginia became 153 years old on June 20, 2016, only 153 copies of "Patience's Prize" were made. They were made available to the public on June 18, and could only be purchased at the company's visitor center. Purchases were limited to one per customer. [96]

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ↑ In 1886, a large quantity of natural was discovered in Indiana. Affecting 25 counties in the state including Howard County and the city of Kokomo, the amount of gas was large enough that it could be used for fuel. This low-cost fuel attracted glass factories, and by 1893 the number of glass factories in the state had increased to 45 from only one in 1886. [5]
  2. ↑ A Sanborn Fire Insurance map for Kokomo as of March 1896 shows Pittsburgh Plate Glass (image 13), Opalescent Glass Works (image 19), and a small unnamed glass factory (image 19) near the Belt Railroad. [6]
  3. ↑ A newspaper advertisement from 1956 repeats the claim of shipping to and from England. [8]
  4. ↑ While a newspaper said that Blenko's family moved to England during 1905, another source says that Blenko returned to England in 1904 to start a glass factory. [10]
  5. ↑ Gallerist Damon Crain wrote that Blenko's Eureka Art Glass Company was founded in December 1921. [20]
  6. ↑ Three additional sources, two 1937 editions of newspapers and a museum's book, use 1937 as the year Blenko received the contract to produce glassware for Colonial Williamsburg. [35] Two other sources, Shotwell and a Blenko timeline from 2002, use 1936. [36]
  7. ↑ Art glass is considered glassware made more for ornamental purposes than utilitarian, and is typically made in limited quantities. [39]
  8. ↑ Marion Hunt Blenko (1900-1989) was the wife of Willam H. Blenko Sr. She would eventually be the secretary-treasurer of the board of directors of Blenko Glass Company. She was also the daughter of Henry Hunt, of Hunt Stained Glass Studios in Pittsburgh. [41]
  9. ↑ Links to two of the catalogs posted by Blenko (2002 and 2014-2015) are in the References section herein. [74]
  10. ↑ Winslow Anderson was speaking on the history of Blenko Glass in April 1953. [88] In February 1954 a retailer was advertising Lenox china designed by Anderson. [89]
  11. ↑ Lesley Jackson writes that Myers succeeded Husted as design director in 1964. [91]
  12. ↑ Jackson writes that Meyers left Blenko in 1972. [91] Crain wrote that Meyers worked for Blenko from 1964 to 1970 and part of 1971. [2] A newspaper says that Joel Meyers joined the Illinois State University College of Fine Art faculty in September 1970 after leaving Blenko Glass Company. [92]
  13. ↑ Crain wrote that Nickerson was hired in 1971. [20]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shotwell 2002 , p. 43
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Crain 2004
  3. ↑ Vaughan, Mary L. (May 15, 1956). "West Virginia Upholds Venice (page B-2)". Washington Evening Star (from Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress).
  4. ↑
    • Shotwell 2002, p. 43;
    • "Community History - 75 years Ago (4th paragraph)". Kokomo Tribune (Newspaper Archive). January 28, 1968. p. 6. William Blenko, an English glass manufacturer, has arrived in Kokomo.
  5. ↑ Peelle Jr 1894, pp. 525–526
  6. 1 2 "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana. (images 13 and 19)". Sanborn Map Company (U.S. Library of Congress). Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ "Blenko Glass Chat with the Steele's - Steele's Patio Shop". San Rafael Daily Independent Journal (Newspaper Archive). August 25, 1956. p. M12 (29). For a while the wily Blenko shipped the product of his Indiana plant back to England—and re-imported it.
  9. ↑ "(2nd column from left, almost half way down)". Kokomo Daily Tribune (Newspaper Archive). July 20, 1905. p. 6. The family of William Blenko left today for New York, from which place they will set sail for London, England, to make their mother country their future home.
  10. ↑
    • "(2nd column from left, almost half way down)". Kokomo Daily Tribune (Newspaper Archive). July 20, 1905. p. 6. The family of William Blenko left today for New York, from which place they will set sail for London, England, to make their mother country their future home.;
    • Grimmett, Mary Lee (March 29, 1958). "Sand to Shimmering Glass". Charleston Daily Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 9. Blenko returned to England in 1904 and opened another factory producing the same type of glass.
  11. 1 2 3 Grimmett, Mary Lee (March 29, 1958). "Sand to Shimmering Glass". Charleston Daily Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 9. Blenko returned to England...opened another factory producing the same type of glass.
  12. ↑
    • "(3rd column from left at bottom)". Kokomo Daily Tribune (Newspaper Archive). September 28, 1906. p. 7. William Blenko and wife, the well known socialists, have returned from an extended visit in England, their native land.;
    • "(4th column from left near bottom)". Kokomo Daily Tribune (Newspaper Archive). October 1, 1906. p. 5. ...Blenko, who recently returned from England, have decided to locate permanently in Pennsylvania.
  13. ↑ Sanborn Fire Insurance (1909). Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Point Marion, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. (see image 4) (Map). Pelham, New York: Sanborn Map Company (U.S. Library of Congress). Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Another Factory Will Be Erected (page 1)". Clarksburg Daily Telegram. July 22, 1911.
  15. ↑
    • "Office of the Historian - Protectionism in the Interwar Period". Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute - United States Department of State. Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.;
    • Katonak, Lynne (August 25, 2002). "Blown away by Blenko (Blenko bits)". Aiken Standard (Newspaper Archive). p. 1C (25). Then, in 1913, a 4 per cent tariff reduction on imported glass shrank an important share of the market, forcing Blenko to close his shop.
  16. ↑ "Central Union (far right column)". Lancaster Daily Gazette (Newspaper Archive). September 19, 1916. p. 6. List Showing New Bell Telephone Subscribers....
  17. ↑ Flanagan 1917 , p. 1
  18. ↑ Hammer 1920 , p. 30
  19. ↑ Krak 1922 , p. 23
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Crain 2007
  21. ↑ Daugherty 1924 , p. 62
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 Jackson 2000 , p. 32
  23. ↑
    • "Taking panes for the White House". Frederick News Post (Newspaper Archive). May 1, 1995. p. B-7 (15). Antique glass has lines, tool marks, waves and bubbles.;
    • Shotwell 2002, p. 95;
    • Shotwell 2002, p. 309
  24. ↑ U.S.patent 1,583,441,William Blenko,"Art Glass and Method of Making the Same",issued May 4, 1926
  25. ↑ Flanagan 1928 , p. 8–9
  26. ↑
  27. ↑ Flanagan 1928 , p. 9
  28. ↑ "The Great Depression 1929-1941". Federal Reserve History. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  29. ↑
  30. ↑ "A Gift For That Fastidious Friend (advertisement)". Charleston Daily Mail (Newspaper Archive). December 11, 1931. p. 18. Distinctive and different....
  31. ↑ "Made at Milton (near bottom of page)". Charleston Gazette (Newspaper Archive). September 4, 1932. p. *9 (19). The work of this art glass company has been used in some of the greatest churches and cathedrals in this country and abroad.
  32. ↑ "William Blenko - Glass Manufacturer in Huntington Dies Suddenly". Portsmouth Times (Newspaper Archive). November 25, 1933. p. 12. William Blenko, 79, for years a prominent glass manufacturer....
  33. 1 2 3 Blenko Glass Company 2002 , p. 2
  34. ↑ Byrd 1963 , p. A4043
  35. ↑
    • "State News In Brief - Huntington". Charleston Daily Mail (Newspaper Archive). April 14, 1937. p. 3. The Blenko Glass company received a contract for making reproductions of colonial glassware to be used in the Williamsburg, Va., restoration project.;
    • "To Copy Glassware (bottom of page)". Beckley Post Herald (Newspaper Archive). April 14, 1937. p. 1. The Blenko Glass company received a contract for making reproductions....;
    • Venable et al. 2000, p. 353
  36. ↑
  37. ↑ Vaughan, Mary L. (May 15, 1956). "West Virginia Upholds Venice". Washington Evening Star (from Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress).
  38. 1 2 "Blenko Glass Company - Producing Glass". Bard Graduate Center (Bard College). Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  39. ↑ Shotwell 2002, pp. 19–20
  40. ↑ "State Charters Seven Concerns". Charleston Daily Mail (Newspaper Archive). May 1, 1947. p. 14. The Blenko Glass Company, Inc., of Milton, Cabell county....
  41. ↑ Unknown 1989, p. 180
  42. ↑ Boggs, Neil (November 26, 1950). "Rt. 60 Village is Composite of Small Towns". Charleston Gazette (Newspaper Archive). p. 13 of Section 2 (37). Exquisite glass products from the Blenko Glass Co. plant have made Milton world-famous....
  43. 1 2 3 Downs, Bill (April 30, 1950). "Many Tourists Drawn to Milton to See Production of Famed Blenko Glassware". Charleston Gazette (Newspaper Archive). p. 28 (66). ...Blenko Glass Co., which is one of the nation's leading producers of fine quality handmade glassware and antique stained glass....
  44. ↑
  45. 1 2 Blenko Glass Company 2002 , p. 2
  46. ↑ "Blenko Glass Exhibit Scheduled Thursday and Friday". San Antonio Express and News (Newspaper Archive). February 28, 1965. p. 2G (67). Contemporary shapes, subtle and brilliantly beautiful colors....
  47. 1 2 Fields, Dan (July 28, 1966). "Blenko Unveils $175,000 Tourist Center At Milton (Newspaper Archive)". p. 2. The tourist facility, long a dream of the son of the founder, William H. Blenko Sr., was dedicated today....
  48. ↑ "Head of Blenko Glass Co. Dies". Raleigh Register (Beckley, West Virginia)(Newspaper Archive). March 12, 1969. p. 30 (29).
  49. ↑ "Morgan Museum Finds New Home at Milton". Charleston Gazette (Newspaper Archive). April 1, 1972. p. 7A (7). The Morgan Museum near St. Albans has found a new home, a site adjacent to the Blenko Glass Co. Visitors Center at Milton.
  50. ↑ "Sweep of Color Captured in Glass". Charleston Daily Mail (Newspaper Archive). June 22, 1974. p. 1. You are looking at nearly $20,000 worth of stained glass art work.
  51. ↑ "Imports, Gas Prices Squeeze Glass Makers". Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Newspaper Archive). December 9, 1982. p. 25 (47). ...state manufacturers have been forced to lay off employees....
  52. ↑ Barber, Curt (January 23, 1990). "Glass collection on display at Craft Memorial Library". Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Newspaper Archive). p. B1 (9). Blenko (in Milton) is the only one left.
  53. 1 2 Nussbaum, Nancy (May 30, 1995). "White House windowpanes must meet standards of being 'perfectly imperfect'". Clearfield Progress (Newspaper Archive). p. Two (24). ...Blenko has developed prototypes for White House review.
  54. ↑
    • "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Art Institute gift shop". Orland Park Star (Newspaper Archive). November 17, 1996. p. D-3 (25). Richard Blenko of Blenko...will be available from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.;
    • "A Family Name in Glass". Olney Enterprise (Newspaper Archive). March 18, 2004. p. 22. When Richard Blenko began working....
  55. ↑ "Tuesday Prime Time (PBS 44, 8:00)". Dover New Philadelphia Times Reporter (Newspaper Archive). March 14, 1999. p. 16 (52) of Showcase Television Magazine March 14-March 21. The dream of English immigrant William John Blenko to produce....
  56. ↑
    • "Saturday Afternoon - December 1, 2001 (channel 46)". Daily Review (Newspaper Archive). November 25, 2001. p. 11 of TV Week (57). The people and ideas behind Blenko's production....;
    • "Think TV PBS - Blenko Spirit of American Stained Glass". Middletown Journal (Newspaper Archive). March 9, 2005. p. A9 (9). The history of the Blenko Glass Company and its influence on American stained glass and art glass.
  57. ↑ "Travel - From page 9". New Castle News (Newspaper Archive). July 7, 2003. p. 13. ...most popular item—water bottles in a variety of colors with a $11.50 price tag.
  58. 1 2 Uchitelle, Louis (January 18, 2010). "Glassmaking Thrives Offshore, but Is Declining in U.S." New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  59. 1 2 "Glass industry is changing, but still holding on". Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Newspaper Archive). July 27, 2003. p. A-11 (20). We don't need two or three sets of glassware any more.
  60. ↑
  61. ↑ "Blenko president, two other execs leave in shakeup". Beckley Register Herald (Newspaper Archive). October 1, 2008. p. 10A. The company says it will remain a family run business.
  62. ↑
    • "Blenko idles furnaces, ponders bankruptcy filing". Morgantown Dominion Post (Newspaper Archive). January 31, 2009. p. 2-A. ...the company can't afford to send its gas supplier a check....;
    • "Blenko needs investors soon to avoid bankruptcy". Beckley Register Herald (Newspaper Archive). February 23, 2009. p. 3A. ...the family has been talking with several possible investors.
  63. ↑ "Festival signals Blenko Glass Company's vitality". Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Newspaper Archive). August 8, 2009. p. A-6. A historic West Virginia glassmaker is celebrating its economic recovery....
  64. ↑ "Blenko files for bankruptcy". Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Newspaper Archive). May 14, 2011. p. A-5. ...the Milton glassmaker made the filing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Charleston.
  65. ↑ "W.Va. glassmaker Blenko rebounds after bankruptcy". Beckley Register Herald (Newspaper Archive). August 6, 2012. p. 6A. Blenko Glass Co. is rebounding after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2011.
  66. ↑ "Blenko Glass set to emerge from bankruptcy". Beckley Register Herald (Newspaper Archive). December 15, 2012. p. 3A. ...all creditors who voted on the plan approved it.
  67. 1 2 Born, Molly (May 7, 2021). "Blenko (continued from page B4)". Winchester Star (Newspaper Archive). p. B5 (17). The success of the monsters makes for a surprising chapter in Blenko's history.
  68. ↑ Casto 2017 , p. 12
  69. ↑
  70. ↑ "the History of Blenko Glass". Blenko Glass Company. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  71. ↑
  72. 1 2 Born, Molly (May 7, 2021). "How a mythical backwoods monster saved a struggling West Virginia glass company". Winchester Star (Newspaper Archive). p. B4-B5 (16-17). Blenko Glass Company would partner with a West Virginia artist on immortalizing the mythical Flatwoods Monster, Big Foot's Appalachian cousin....
  73. ↑ Richardson, Jesten (February 21, 2024). "Blenko (continued from page 1A)". Charleston Gazette Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 7A. ...Blenko will probably keep around 10 furnaces....
  74. ↑
  75. ↑
    • "Astrological Glass Display at BC Library". Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Newspaper Archive). February 18, 1979. p. 4B (36). Blenko is known around the world for the production of glass for church and cathedral. windows.;
    • Abernathy, Dorothy (February 14, 2016). "Almost Heaven - Watch glass being made by hand at Blenko in West Virginia". Traverse City Record Eagle (Newspaper Archive). p. 5E (33). The company is famous for its stained glass and handcrafted glass tableware....
  76. ↑
    • Pace, Fred (October 17, 2022). "Blenko (From Page 1A)". Charleston Gazette Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 7A. ...one example is the iconic 384 Water Bottle.;
    • Zuchowski, Dave (July 7, 2003). "Travel (From Page 9)". New Castle News (Newspaper Archive). p. 13. ...the most popular item—water bottles in a variety of colors....
  77. ↑
  78. 1 2
    • Bundy, Jennifer (June 20, 1995). "Residents to blow out 132 candles". Beckley Register Herald (Newspaper Archive). p. 4B (14). This year cobalt blue vases with clear handles sell for $55....;
    • Parsons, Baylee (June 6, 2024). "Blenko's 2024 West Virginia Day glass piece honors Green Bank Telescope". Charleston Gazette-Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 1. ...in the design of Blenko Glass Co.'s 2024 West Virginia Day Piece.
  79. ↑ Little, Glade (July 21, 1957). "The Art That Time Didn't Kill". Charleston Gazette (Newspaper Archive). p. 20-m Magazine Section (83). ...products range from glassware for home decorations to stained glass for windows.
  80. ↑ Jackson 2000 , p. 31
  81. ↑
    • Jackson 2000, p. 31;
    • "Many Tourists Drawn to Milton to See Production of Famed Blenko Glassware". Charleston Gazette (Newspaper Archive). April 30, 1950. p. 28 (66). A growing tourist attraction in West Virginia....
  82. ↑ Riffe, Harold (April 29, 1962). "Fair and Mild (left column)". Charleston Gazette Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 11. ...at least a part of the glass which went into the new Air Force Academy Chapel...was supplied by Blenko.
  83. ↑ Jackson 2000 , p. 31; Little, Glade (July 21, 1957). "The Art That Time Didn't Kill". Charleston Gazette (Newspaper Archive). p. 20-m Magazine Section (87). ...products range from glassware for home decorations to stained glass for windows.
  84. ↑ "W.Va. glass firm works on White House". Herald Star (Newspaper Archive). May 10, 1992. p. 8-A (8). ...they have the capital equipment necessary, and they have the talented workers.
  85. ↑ "The Blenko Water Bottle: A glass and West Virginia's handmade icon!". Blenko Glass Company. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  86. ↑ "Blenko (from Page 1A)". Charleston Gazette Mail (NewspaperArchive). October 17, 2022. p. 7A. ...one example is the iconic 384 Water Bottle.
  87. ↑
  88. ↑ "Clubs To Hear Story of Blenko Glassware". Charleston Daily Mail (Newspaper Archive). April 5, 1953. p. 26. Mr. Winslow Anderson, guest speaker, will discuss the history of Blenko glass.
  89. ↑ "The Melroses". Summit Herald (Newspaper Archive). February 25, 1954. p. 7. Lenox China's new contemporary fine china artware designed by Winslow Anderson.
  90. ↑ Christian, Darrell (August 18, 1968). "Of a Man and Glass". Charleston Gazette Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 1B (25). Myers is director of design for Blenko Glass Co., one of the world's top art glass companies.
  91. 1 2 3 4 Jackson 2000, p. 33
  92. ↑ "Illinois Art Faculty Men Exhibit Here". Stevens Point Daily Journal (Newspaper Archive dated Oct 30, 1971). November 1, 1971. p. 6 (9). He joined ISU from a position as director of design at Blenko Glass....
  93. ↑
  94. ↑ "Designer returns to Blenko". Cumberland Times News (Newspaper Archive). May 17, 2004. p. 2B (12). Four decades later, Wayne Husted's expertise is still in high demand at Blenko Glass.
  95. ↑
    • "Designer returns to Blenko". Cumberland Times News (Newspaper Archive). May 17, 2004. p. 2B (12). ...including Patriot, inspired by the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.;
    • Blenko Glass Company 2002, p. 3
  96. 1 2 Hessler, Courtney (June 7, 2016). "Blenko vase pays tribute to WVa. fishing". Winchester Star (Newspaper Archive). p. B3 (15). Blenko Glass Co. has started making its 2016 West Virginia Day piece....
  97. ↑ Born, Molly (May 7, 2021). "How a mythical backwoods monster saved a struggling West Virginia glass company". Winchester Star (Newspaper Archive). p. B4 (16). Blenko Glass Company would partner with a West Virginia artist on immortalizing the mythical Flatwoods Monster, Big Foot's Appalachian cousin....
  98. ↑ "Blenko, renowned Ravenswood artist create owl glass". Charleston Gazette Mail (Newspaper Archive). April 30, 2024. p. 1. Blenko Glass Co. has announced its new guest artist....
  99. ↑ Parsons, Baylee (June 6, 2024). "Blenko's 2024 West Virginia Day glass piece honors Green Bank Telescope". Charleston Gazette-Mail (Newspaper Archive). p. 1. ...in the design of Blenko Glass Co.'s 2024 West Virginia Day Piece.
  100. ↑ "Blenko Glass honors W.Va. with 'Autumn Flame' piece". Beckley Register Herald (Newspaper Archive). May 31, 2015. p. 3E (31). Blenko Glass Co. honors West Virginia's birthday by issuing a limited-edition glass piece....

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References

Further reading


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