Blenko Glass, still operating in Milton, West Virginia, has an interesting—though quite fraught—history. The company was founded by Englishman William Blenko in 1893. He was born in London in 1853 and had worked in the glass industry there. At age 40, he moved to the United States where he opened (in Kokomo, Indiana) America's first factory to produce sheet glass for stained glass windows. That endeavor lasted ten years until an economic downturn forced Blenko to return to England. Six years later, Blenko was back in America and opened another factory, this time in Point Marion, Pennsylvania (which quickly failed), followed by another one in Clarksburg, West Virginia (which also closed quickly). Not one to give-up, William Blenko opened another factory in 1921, this time in Milton, West Virginia. Natural gas prices were inexpensive here, making the region a center of glass blowing. Indeed, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, and Ohio formed a nexus of glass manufacturing in Turn-of-the-Century America. For the first few years, Blenko worked alone, a one-man-operation—designing, blowing and selling all the glass himself. Blenko's stained glass found its way into Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City as well as Reims Cathedral in France.
Once again, trouble was stalking Blenko: the crash of the Stock Market in 1929 put a sudden halt to ambitious architectural projects (and the sales of his stained glass sheets). This time, Blenko reacted swiftly, diversifying into simple tableware for the home. By 1932, Macy's was carrying his line. A set of Blenko tableware even made it to the White House (where it is still used on occasion).
Blenko is best known for its post World War II Modernist artglass. Even today, Blenko continues to produce consumer artglass, stained glass and architectural glass for use in the building trade.
The bookends shown above, made by Blenko in the Sixties, are formed from two heavy blocks of glass. (The pair weighs nearly 11 pounds.) On the backs, a chessman "knight" is sand-blasted into the glass. The horse heads are a "mirrored" pair—that is, they are designed separately, allowing them to both face-forward (when installed on a bookshelf). These Modernist bookends would be appreciated by any book lover—especially one who loves chess, horses, or big hunks of Modernist glass. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248