Mid2Mod: The Blenko heyday

Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Blenko heyday

In 1947 the Blenko Glass Company hired Winslow Anderson and became a major force in American glass design. Most glass producers did not have a full time in-house designer, but Blenko made the decision to do so. In addition,, they gave Anderson complete creative freedom..

Four designers take the spotlight in Blenko's heyday: Winslow Anderson, Wayne Husted, Joel Myers and John Nickerson. Husted pioneered a Studio Glass aesthetic before the movement even began. Myers was at the forefront of the movement when it began, and Nickerson was the first Blenko art director who came to the position with a full understanding of the Studio Glass Movement.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Blenko water bottles could be found in almost all homes. They came in a variety of colors. Decanters were also found in abundance, from small tabletop versions to huge architectural floor vases. Stylized pictures of them even became popular wall art.

From blenkomuseum.org