Blenko glass is an all-American winner for its imaginative designs and vibrant colors. And it's still affordable - for now.

When people think of innovative art glass, West Virginia isn't usually the first spot on the map that comes to mind. But this largely rural Southern state was once home to more than 500 glassmaking factories. It had high-quality deposits of such essential raw materials as silica sand, limestone, and feldspar; plenty of natural gas; and good bulk transportation.

Beginning in 1921, West Virginia also had William John Blenko, a determined and gifted English immigrant glassmaker whose family continues to run Blenko Glass Co. today (the name was changed from Eureka Art Glass in 1930). Blenko's decorative glass from post-World War II through the 1960's was a trendsetting chapter in the larger American Modern movement, and is increasingly appreciated today.

As author Leslie Pina points out, Blenko bridges the gap between art glass and mass-produced collectible wares. Blenko glass is hand-blown and designer driven, winning design awards and achieving the ultimate flattery of being widely copied. Yet it's also factory-produced in relatively large quantities, and original prices have always been low.

Because of Blenko's long history and plentiful production (which continues today). There's a lot to chose from. Prices for run-of-the-mill candlesticks, whimsical "decoratives" such as fruit, fish and animals, and small vases, bowls and decanters are generally under $50.

BEAUTY BY DESIGN

A distinguishing characteristic of Blenko management has been its willingness to hire creative designers without glass experience… and then leave them alone to innovate. The most highly collectible pieces are the often non-utilitarian, oversized, glass-for-art's-sake innovations of Blenko's golden age.

Each of the three most collectible Blenko design chiefs were trained in ceramics, which probably accounts for the sculptural quality of Blenko's most admired avant-garde designs:

- 1947-1953: Winslow Anderson was Blenko's first full-time resident designer. He began the trend to strongly organic, contemporary designs. His elegant #948 decanter, among several others, won a Good Design award from the Museum of Modern Art .

- 1954-1963: Wayne Husted became head designer. He introduced, among other items, the large, eccentric architectural "floor" pieces now much sought by collectors. They're decorative, playful, and often startlingly futuristic.

- 1964-1971: Joel Philip Myers followed Husted as head designer, continuing the trend towards innovative, distinctive wares. His 19676 designs are thought by many to be his best for Blenko. After leaving Blenko in 1971, myers became an important figure in the Studio Glass movement, which has brought one-of-a-kind glass objects to the status (and prices) of fine art.

Many collectors are first attracted to Blenko by its sumptuous colors, an area in which Blenko has a long record of innovation. The firm started as a supplier of colored glass for church windows (it still produces architectural glass), and has created more than 1,200 colors in its lengthy and productive history.

It can be a confusing palette; some colors appear in more than one version, or under different names. An example of a reissued color is Sea Green, which is now called Sea Foam. "And Tangerine is a good example of a color that comes out differently from batch to batch." Says Damon Crain, associate curator of the Blenko Museum of Seattle. "It can appear orange, red, or amberina which is a gradation from clear to yellow to orange to red."

Preferences among collectors is very personal. Some seek out brighter, more intense hues, Pina says. But, Crain notes, "Sea Green, Lemon, and Surf Green are all pale but very desirable."

Rarity, of course, appeals to collectors, so colors that Blenko produced for a short period of time are desirable. Rialto , a semi-transparent white glass with contrasting red elements, was produced for only one year, and brings premium prices. Some collectors seek out shaded effects such as Big Sky and Desert Green, or the less common wares incorporating more than one color.

Among Blenko's pastels, Rose – a lavender/pink made in 1953-64 – is among the most desirable. Bill Agle, the Blenko Museum of Seattle's curator, says it may have been withdrawn from production because pieces looked drab and off-color under the fluorescent lights used in retail stores at the time. A darker pink called Dusty Rose was produced from 1988-1990.

It's impossible to predict with certainty what "the next big thing" in any field will be (remember those optimistic estimates about the Dow Jones average going to 20,000)? But many experts think that Blenko glass has a sparkling future.

American Modernism in all its forms is increasing in popularity every year. With the approach of Blenko Glass's 75 th anniversary in 2005, interest in this company's distinctive contributions to American glass seems bound to increase too.

Antiques Roadshow appraiser Vivian Highberg comments that Blenko is "a sleeper in the glass collecting arena. This is an up-and-coming hot collectible for the 21 st century."

Quick Tip

Pleasing Imperfections

Blenko glass doesn't have the flawless quality of some of its famous Scandinavian contemporaries like Orrefors and Kosta Boda; Blenko, although very heavy, is rather soft. A fair number of pieces with minor imperfections, sometimes unnoticeable to the untrained eye, get through the inspection process. (This low wastage rate helps keep prices reasonable.) Many collectors think these small variations add interest and give pieces a "one of a kind" appeal.

Inside Info

Care & Maintenance Advice

1. Don't learn the hard way that glass can be damaged "just sitting there," especially if it's just sitting on a windowsill … Being near a window can also subject glass to extreme temperature changes that can cause breakage, even if there's no water or visible moisture in or on the piece
2. Yes, glass can get sick, with cloudy deposits of calcium (a mineral found in most tap water) that fog the glass and spoil its brilliance when the moisture evaporates. Blenko glass is fairly soft and susceptible to this water staining, which decreases the value dramatically. So: don't buy "sick" pieces. Don't let water stand for long in glass containers. And don't try to cure the problem with strong chemicals such as straight ammonia or hydrochloric acid. They destroy the glass surface as well as the calcium.

Trading Marks

On Your Mark…

Blenko pieces usually had two markings when they left the factory. One was a square white label with the catalogue number and the words "Blenko Glass Company, Milton WV." The other: One of eight different marks that Blenko has used during its long history. A great number of Blenko decorative articles on the secondary market are unmarked, since the majority of identifying marks were paper stickers that have been removed or dropped off.

The presence of a label isn't a guarantee of authenticity. In 1984, when Blenko discontinued the "silver hand" label that had been in use since the 1930's, an unknown number of these old labels were given away. It's reasonable to assume that some of them have found their way onto glass decorative wares to which the didn't originally belong. As Blenko prices have risen in recent months, it's likely that some of these identifying labels are turning up on pieces other than those made by Blenko.

From 1958 through most of 1961, a permanent mark hand-designed by Wayne Husted was sandblasted into Blenko glass. During that time, some pieces were passed without being marked, so the mark's absence shouldn't be considered absolute proof that a piece isn't Blenko glass from that period. Furthermore, the factory visitor center sold experimental items that didn't make it into full production and were therefore unmarked.

Bill Agle, curator of the Blenko Museum of Seattle, cautions that even when it's present, the etched mark can be partial or very hard to see. Example: In Rialto , a much sought-after specialty line of opalescent white and ruby glass, it sometimes nearly disappears into the pontil mark (the "scar" from where the glass was held with a solid metal rod during manufacture).

In 2001, Blenko revived the technique of permanently marking its decorative wares with a sandblasted date, name, and hand. That development makes things easier for future collectors. Meanwhile, it's imperative to know style, color, and size by studying known authentic pieces and the Blenko catalogues.