Born and trained in Britain, William John Blenko
(1854-1933) had three failed attempts at setting up an American glassworks
before succeeding in 1922 with Blenko glassworks.
His expertise had initially been applied to stained glass, but when demand fell in the 1920s, Blenko began to develop a range of brightly coloured domestic glass
. By 1932, Macy's of New York was carrying the Blenko range and by 1935 department stores across the country had followed suit.
His expertise had initially been applied to stained glass, but when demand fell in the 1920s, Blenko began to develop a range of brightly coloured domestic glass
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| Blenko |
. By 1932, Macy's of New York was carrying the Blenko range and by 1935 department stores across the country had followed suit.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Blenko's glassware included vases
and bowls in the vibrant range of colours that became the company's trademark
and that help to date the glass.
Most pieces were in one of Blenko's vivid single colours, although some had applied decoration in a second colour. The heat-sensitive Amberina range has graded shades ranging from red to amber.
Most pieces were in one of Blenko's vivid single colours, although some had applied decoration in a second colour. The heat-sensitive Amberina range has graded shades ranging from red to amber.
Three resident designers in particular helped shape
Blenko's When Winslow Anderson
joined in
1947, he introduced the softer, more organic forms associated with the
Scandinavian style. In 1952, his Bent Decanter was chosen by the Museum of
Modern Art in New York, as part of the Good Design exhibition at the Chicago
Mart Show. Wayne Husted was designer from 1952 to 1963, and he introduced the
range of large, boldy coloured and shaped decanters.
While Joel Myers - resident designer from 1963 to 1972 - created Blenko's more restrained glass designs: vases and decanters took on the more geometric cylindrical shapes and textured surfaces typical of the 1960s.
While Joel Myers - resident designer from 1963 to 1972 - created Blenko's more restrained glass designs: vases and decanters took on the more geometric cylindrical shapes and textured surfaces typical of the 1960s.
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| Blenko |
Blenko is primarily
associated with colour, and it is the more vibrant and dramatic colours that
tend to be more popular, together with a combination of interesting shapes and
sizes.
William John Blenko's
expertise as a master colour-maker was originally dedicated to antique stained
glass, which he produced using the traditional method of mouth-blown flat
panels of coloured "in the pot" stained glass.
The company received several commissions for ecclesiastical stained glass, including the magnificent Rose Window in the National Cathedral at Washington, DC.
The company received several commissions for ecclesiastical stained glass, including the magnificent Rose Window in the National Cathedral at Washington, DC.
Here Joseph Reynolds used Blenko stained glass for his symboldepiction of St John's vision of Heaven, taken from Revelations 4. God is seated on a throne, dressed in a mantle of brilliant gold, surrounded by a rainbow and figures of the Four and Twenty Elders holding golden crowns.
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