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Blenko Glass Collections
| The Specht Family - Vashti, TX |
From left to right: Kayla, Debbie, and Bruce with Katie sitting on the floor |
The Specht's have referred to the farm we live on as the old homeplace since 1918. I have included a picture of my family that you are free to use on the Blenko Project web page as well. From left to right sitting on the fireplace hearth is Kayla, Debbie, and Bruce with Katie sitting on the floor.I should add that this is in our new home that we are just completing construction. This has lots of areas to display what has turned out to be quite a large collection of Blenko. We got started, as most people who haven't had the pleasure of living in West Virginia, when we caught the broadcast of "Hearts of Glass " on PBS. For some reason it just "clicked" with me since I grew up in a large Methodist church that had incredible stained glass windows. Now I would like to be able to say that it was Blenko Glass in those windows, but I have no way to know. The colors reminded me so much of the panels that depicted the life of Christ and the clothing and other details that it touched me on a very emotional level. I had already assembled a large collection of Southern Highland Guild Pottery from the likes of W.J. Gordy and Charles Counts and this just connected with the whole handmade or handcrafted nature of items that my family identifies with. Debbie and I set out to research and try to start a collection. After reading Leslie PIna's book "Blenko: Cool Glass of the 50's and 60's" we set up an Ebay account and jumped into the fray. We learned real fast that Ebay is unlike any auction we had ever encountered. Lots of different strategies we had to learn before we ever won our first auction, but learn we did, so that now I can say Ebay has been great.
But that only accounts for a little over half of our collection. Since I was originally raised in Georgia and still have real estate interests, family and friends there, we have found ourselves making the thousand mile trek several times a year. So what better way to take a break from the road than to do a little antiquing. We have also made trips annually to South Dakota for my daughters competition in National Pedal Pulls and south Florida to visit other family. Of course we have made, at last count, three separate trips to Milton to watch the craftsmen at work in the Blenko factory which was an incredible experience for the girls to see. My youngest daughter, Kayla, has definitely got the Blenko "bug". She has studied all the Pina books as well as the Eason Eige reference book and is a real lifesaver when it comes time to searching the antique stores and estate sales we frequent. She has more than once popped up behind me with a great big grin and holding up a piece that the rest of us overlooked or stopped me with the dreaded words of "Dad, that's got a crack". Many of our best pieces in the 600+ piece collection are finds in small out of the way places we stopped at during our trips.
"Two goals that I set for our collection was to complete a set of '36-37 "Cobweb" vases and a complete set of Gump's decanters. The first we met this spring (2008), and just in time for an exhibit of part of our collection at the Kemp Center for the Arts in Wichita Falls, Texas. Several of the pictures are related to that exhibit, or were made in preparation of a catalog of the pieces that were on loan. I am sure that with a little luck and time we will eventually be able to complete the Gump's collection as well.
"Our collection spans almost every year of Blenko's production, and rightly so, since it all reflects the beauty and craftsmanship distinctly Blenko." - Bruce Specht
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Pictured left to right
Designer - Myers
#6815 OT(Olive w/Turquoise wrap), #6815 TO, #6815 LT(Lemon w/Tangerine)
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Designer - Nickerson
L. to R. #7226-M in Emerald Green
#7226-S in Tangerine
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Designer - Anderson
#991 in various colors
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Designer - Husted
L. to R. #5810 in Jonquil, Mulberry, Turquoise, Tangerine, and Charcoal
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Designer - Husted
L. to R. #5815 - S Genie Decanter in Jade
#5825 - L Twisted Decanter in Jade
#5817 Knob Handled Martini pitcher in Jade with Crystal Handle
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Designer - Husted
L. to R. #555 Knob Handled small pitcher in Charcoal with Crystal handle
#5611 Knob handled pitcher in Charcoal with Crystal handle
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L. to R. Myers #6912
Myers #669
Myers #7019
Husted #636L
Nickerson #7224
Husted #5817
Myers #657M
Myers #6626S
Myers #704
Myers #6944
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Pre-designer
L. to R. #3623 " Cobweb" beaker shape vase in Sky Blue Seed Glass
#3626 "Cobweb" Ivey Bowl in Sea Green
#3624 "Cobweb" Bowl in Sky Blue Seed Glass
#3625 "Cobweb" Urn Shape Vase in Ruby
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Designer - Husted
L. to R. #6123 - L Stopper Bottle in Sea Green
#6123 - S Stopper Bottle in Tangerine
#6123 - M Stopper Bottle in Jonquil
#626 - M Stopper Bottle in Crystal
#626 - S Stopper Bottle in Tangerine
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Designer - Husted
L. to R. #5823 Pulled spout decanter in Mulberry
#5827 Pulled spout cruet in Charcoal with Crystal spout/stopper
#5921 Pulled spout decanter in Tangerine
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Designer - Husted
L. to R. #6110 Vase in Charcoal
#6114 Decanter in Sea Green
#616 Bowl in Tangerine
#6113 Pitcher in Persian
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Designer - Myers
#6425 Flame Stopper Fade bottle
#6425 Flame Stopper bottle in Peacock
#6426 Stopper bottle in Tangerine
#6734 Diamond Stopper Decanter in Tangerine
#6427 Fade Stretch Bottle in Turquoise/Olive/Honey
#6427 Fade Stretch Bottle in Turquoise/Olive/Honey
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Designer - Myers
Gump Decanters in (L to R) Honey, Turquoise, Crystal, Tangerine, Olive
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Designer - Myers
#6734 Diamond Stopper Decanter in(L to R) Plum, Turquoise, Tangerine
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Designer - Anderson
#533 Indented Bud Vase in Charcoal
#928 Melon Vase in Gold
#927 Tall Melon Vase in Ruby
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Designer - Anderson
#920 - M in (L to R) Tangerine, Crystal, Turquoise
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Designer - Husted
#5521 Decanters in (L to R)Turq, Amethyst, Turq, Gold, Turq, Amethyst
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Various pieces in Charcoal at Kemp Center for the Arts Exhibit
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Pre- designer
#519 Decanter in Ruby
#486 Decanter in Crystal cased in Turquoise
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