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bankruptcy in 2013 and continued to produce art glass for the consumer market. Despite increased fuel costs, a short period of inactivity, and a rapidly changing industry and marketplace, the company continued to produce glass art ware. On August 3, 2015, the eighth annual festival of glass was held in Milton, West
Virginia.
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Attached to the
Visitor's Center is an observation area, allowing visitors to watch as the glass is blown. Beside the center is a âgarden of glassâ, installed by Joel Myers, on the shore of a small, man-made lake bordering the factory, strewn with colorful glass shards which border a small trail that
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because of low natural gas prices, a major concern for glass manufacturers of the time, which drew many prospective glassblowers to the area. His new company was initially named Eureka Glass
Company, later changed the name to Blenko. Until the arrival of his son, William H. Blenko, in 1923, he had no
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in May 2011. In August 2012 Blenko Vice
President Katie Trippe announced that Blenko Glass was reopening after filing for bankruptcy protection. A reorganization plan was accepted by the court in December 2012, clearing the way for the company to exit bankruptcy in early 2013. The company exited
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The Blenko Glass
Company is housed in a multi-building facility including the Visitor's Center, office building and manufacturing, shipping and warehouse facilities. The Visitor's Center's first floor contains items available for sale including "seconds", while the upper floor contains a small
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In 2005, a court judgement ordered the company to pay $ 500,000 to its gas supplier Big Two Mile, which precipitated Blenko's financial troubles. In 2009, the company announced it was shutting down production. 20 of its 50 employees had already been laid off. The Blenko Glass
Company filed for
179:, after finding two expert glassblowers to work for the company in 1930. However, this did not mean the end of Blenkoâs stained glass industry. Blenko Glass Company still produces hand-blown sheet glass for use in stained glass windows, as well as
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display of Blenko's historical work, primarily early pieces from the 1930s and some experimental pieces and most notably includes a gallery of stained-glass windows made with Blenko sheet glass by different artisans.
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in 2005 to include Blenko in a small survey exhibition organized by Tina
Oldknow, Curator of Modern Glass, titled âDecades in Glass: the â50sâ featuring Wayne Husted's designs.
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winds around part of the factory. Myers' early work included a series of glass hands missing a finger after he, himself lost a finger in Blenko's workshop.
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In 1980, the Blenko Glass
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The Blenko Museum opened in 2000. Aside from curating year-long exhibitions of the company's work, the Blenko Museum worked with the
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William J. Blenko was born in London, England in 1853. He worked in a glass factory in his youth. In 1893, he emigrated to
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windows. In 1903, he was forced to close his factory and return to
England as a result of an economic downturn.
365:"Inside the Blenko Glass Co., one of the last survivors of West Virginia's once-thriving glassmaking industry"
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by Eason Eige and Rick Wilson; research by
Richard Blenko, Marietta, Ohio: Antique Publications, 1987, 144p
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in New York City. Prior to 1946, Blenko's tableware output was largely functional and classical in form.
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Blenko Glass: For Museums and the Masses Published in Modernism Magazine, Volume 10, No. 3, Fall, 2007
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545:"Blenko Glass' Eighth Annual Festival Of Glass Brings In Collectors From Around The Nation"
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Published in The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, Vol. V No. 2, April 2004
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Blenko's early work include providing glass for the stained glass windows of
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has a collection of Blenko table ware, which is used periodically.
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In 1921, Blenko started another sheet glass company, this time in
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As of 2020 Blenko no longer produces architectural sheet glass.
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Herald-Dispatch, JEAN TARBETT HARDIMANThe (January 31, 2009).
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The factory contains eight furnaces that run continuously.
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glass companies and purportedly received a job offer from
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DiPietrantonio, Stefano; Clay, Jarrod (August 3, 2015).
335:"Blenko; Heir Apparent to the American Art Glass Legacy"
391:"The history of Blenko glass and West Virginia entwine"
139:. At that time, Blenko found work at other established
445:. The Charleston Gazette. May 13, 2001. Archived from
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employees; he made and sold all of the glass himself.
483:"Judge OKs reorganization plan for bankrupt Blenko"
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135:. This endeavor quickly failed, as did a third, in
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1392:American stained glass artists and manufacturers
1367:Glass museums and galleries in the United States
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277:Retro Blenko; Three Designers of American Glass,
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1372:Manufacturing companies based in West Virginia
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194:started to sell Blenko products in 1932. The
314:List of museums in Huntington, West Virginia
302:United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel
131:His second business venture was in 1909, in
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1377:Art museums and galleries in West Virginia
1362:Glassmaking companies of the United States
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914:Pauly & C. - Compagnia Venezia Murano
598:Blenko; Uniquely American Modernist Glass
514:"Blenko poised to emerge from bankruptcy"
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393:. The Charleston Gazette. Archived from
363:Charitan, Alexandra (December 1, 2019).
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1387:Museums in Cabell County, West Virginia
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1037:List of defunct glassmaking companies
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512:Hohmann, George (December 13, 2012).
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1357:1921 establishments in West Virginia
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489:. December 4, 2012. Archived from
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1382:Industry museums in West Virginia
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389:Susan Williams (March 12, 2009).
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286:Places with Blenko stained glass
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974:Sterlite Optical Technologies
824:Kokomo Opalescent Glass Works
443:"Blenko files for bankruptcy"
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292:Washington National Cathedral
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567:"Decades in Glass: The '50s"
167:Soon after the onset of the
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418:"Blenko Glass to shut down"
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133:Point Marion, Pennsylvania
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569:. Corning Museum of Glass
137:Clarksburg, West Virginia
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764:Firozabad glass industry
759:Fenton Art Glass Company
1068:Irving Wightman Colburn
649:Glass makers and brands
267:Blenko: Hearts of Glass
254:Corning Museum of Glass
188:St. Patrick's Cathedral
155:Founding of the company
592:Blenko glass 1930-1953
341:on September 15, 2012.
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1133:Henry William Stiegel
864:Mats Jonasson MÄlerÄs
804:Holmegaard Glassworks
518:Charleston Daily Mail
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213:Chapter 11 bankruptcy
161:Milton, West Virginia
149:Louis Comfort Tiffany
101:Milton, West Virginia
69:Milton, West Virginia
1108:Michael Joseph Owens
684:Aurora Glass Foundry
614:Blenko Glass Company
493:on December 17, 2012
333:Damon Crain (2007).
97:Blenko Glass Company
19:Blenko Glass Company
1196:Bomex/Duran/Endural
1113:Alastair Pilkington
789:Guardian Industries
694:Barovier & Toso
524:on January 20, 2013
422:The Herald-Dispatch
397:on February 5, 2010
181:architectural glass
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1058:Richard M. Atwater
879:Nippon Sheet Glass
819:Kingdom of Crystal
739:Dartington Crystal
487:Charleston Gazette
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224:The Blenko factory
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1153:Tomasz Urbanowicz
1143:Lino Tagliapietra
1138:S. Donald Stookey
989:Val Saint Lambert
884:NiĆŸbor glassworks
799:Hardman & Co.
248:The Blenko Museum
116:William J. Blenko
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60:William J. Blenko
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1093:Edward D. Libbey
1063:Frederick Carder
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232:Visitor's Center
169:Great Depression
105:hand-blown glass
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99:, located in
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73:United States
67:
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31:
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1206:Chevron bead
1158:Paolo Venini
1103:Antonio Neri
1083:A. H. Heisey
994:Vallérysthal
954:Saint-Gobain
874:Mosser Glass
704:Blenko Glass
703:
674:Ardagh Group
669:Arc Holdings
571:. Retrieved
561:
551:September 1,
549:. Retrieved
547:. WCHS ABC 8
538:
528:December 16,
526:. Retrieved
522:the original
517:
507:
497:December 16,
495:. Retrieved
491:the original
486:
477:
463:
451:. Retrieved
447:the original
437:
425:. Retrieved
421:
411:
399:. Retrieved
395:the original
384:
372:. Retrieved
369:Roadtrippers
368:
339:the original
328:
276:
266:
251:
243:
239:
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209:
200:
185:
166:
158:
130:
119:
96:
95:
65:Headquarters
33:Company type
15:
1231:Dragontrail
1216:CorningWare
1128:Otto Schott
1118:Flavio Poli
1046:Glassmakers
1014:Xinyi Glass
959:Saint-Louis
869:Moser Glass
769:Franz Mayer
260:Filmography
196:White House
1351:Categories
1261:Millefiori
1179:and brands
1177:Trademarks
1053:John Adams
924:Pilkington
829:Kosta Boda
427:August 21,
374:August 21,
320:References
206:Since 2000
1326:Waterford
1316:Vitrolite
1291:Ravenhead
1241:Fire-King
1226:Cristallo
1221:Cranberry
1078:Friedrich
1030:companies
999:Waterford
984:Swarovski
919:Phu Phong
889:O-I Glass
809:Holophane
784:Glaverbel
734:Crystalex
657:companies
177:tableware
44:Glassware
1191:Bohemian
1123:Salviati
934:Preciosa
899:Orrefors
794:Hadeland
689:Baccarat
308:See also
173:stemware
103:, makes
41:Industry
1336:Zerodur
1311:Vitrite
1306:Visions
1301:Tiffany
1271:Opaline
1251:Gorilla
1236:Favrile
1211:Corelle
1201:Burmese
1028:Defunct
1019:Zwiesel
979:Steuben
849:Luoyang
844:Iittala
754:Fanavid
749:Duralex
729:Corning
719:Borosil
655:Current
573:July 8,
453:July 8,
401:July 8,
111:History
86:.blenko
79:Website
57:Founder
49:Founded
36:Private
1331:Wood's
1276:Peking
1266:Murano
1246:Forest
969:Schott
964:Seguso
939:Riedel
859:Mannok
834:Libbey
469:"WSAZ"
192:Macy's
1321:Vycor
1281:Pyrex
1256:Macor
1186:Activ
904:Osram
894:Ohara
779:Glava
774:Fuyao
709:Bodum
679:Asahi
1286:Rona
944:Rona
814:Hoya
744:Daum
575:2010
553:2015
530:2012
499:2012
455:2011
429:2022
403:2010
376:2022
175:and
143:and
141:Ohio
88:.com
52:1921
280:PBS
271:PBS
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