Maria Pergay

Ring Chair

Maria Pergay, now in her eighties, living in Paris, still is actively creating new designs. Her designs in stainless steel were first seen  in 1968, where she showed her now famous flying carpet bed and the ring chair. This earned her instant acclaim.

Wave Bench

 In the 1970's she was employed by the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia to design interiors and furnishings for their Palaces.  In the 1980's into the 1990's she had several important commissions in Russia.  During this time she still worked on her innovative designs in stainless steel.  She did things in stainless steel that had never been seen before or even thought about.

Commode by Maria Pergay

  She has been a designer who was not limited in her vision, who was constantly thinking and rethinking  new ideas in design. She has had shows in Paris, Korea, and London in the last five or six years.  Pergay continues to work on private commissions and has worked with Demisch Danant putting together a catalogue of her works which was released last year.  Her work is truly an inspiration to women and anyone interested in design. 

Triple tiered table

IT's by McCobb

Paul McCobb Leather and Brass Ottomans

Paul McCobb (June 5, 1917 – March 10, 1969) from Massachusetts new from a young age that he was interested in art and design.  He studied at the Vesper School of Design in Boston, but did not graduate.  He served a short spell in the military during WWII.but got early discharge for medical reasons (1943).
The Calvin Group, Pair of End Tables

The Calvin Group, Pair of End Tables

After serving he moved to New York City where he worked for Martin Fienimin's Modernage Furniture and first came to prominence in 1948.  Here he met his soon to be partner in B.G. Mesberg in the Planner and Directorial furniture lines.  The Planner furniture line was some of the best selling of the 1950's.  This was the more common of his furniture, and was in continuous production from 1949 until 1964.  The Planner group made modern design readily available to the every day man.

A Pair of Paul McCobb Brass and Opaque White Glass Tables.

His furniture produced by Calvin was of a higher quality and thus more collectible today.  Other companies that produced his designs were Custom Craft, O'Hearn Company, and H. Sacks and sons.

More New Shops in "K" Town

Months ago the Town of Kilmarnock had several empty shops. Just recently we have had two new venues open up. Emily Ficklin Hoar opened Rivah Antiques & Accessories on 43 South Main Street.  They have 4,500 square feet with a wide variety of antique, vintage and used items.  There is a group of shops in the rear of the building, among these are branches of The Box out of White Stone, Interior Innovations also from White Stone, Busy Bees from Va. Beach, and Gone Coastal of Deltaville.

Also on Main Street....Specials has attached a new coffee shop to their wine shop.  A small coffee $1.25 not at all bad.  Good coffee, good pastries and home made New York Bagels!   WOW....Ever since Charlottes closed we have been crying for another coffee shop in town.  Thanks, Tom.

On School Street a new Ace Hard ware has opened where the old Eubanks Store once stood.  This is under new management and seem to be atuned to the wants and needs of the area.  Good Luck to Graylend Horn and his manager Ryan Stephens and all their crew.  Welcome aboard to our Town.

Blenko Glass...American Made

Winslow Anderson for Blenko

Back in the 1970's Lewis' father and I purchased a gift shop in Williamsburg Virginia.  I went from being just Mom to running a gift shop.   This was my first experience in buying for a shop.  One of the companies that we bought from was Blenko.  Their glass was always well done, but I knew little about their history, other than they were located in West Virginia.

Wayne Husted for Blenko

My brother's wife, Liz who had family connections with West Virginia, talked about the old art glass pieces done by some of the early glass artist at Blenko.  We started getting interested in the early pieces by the company.

Wayne Husted for Blenko

Blenko was started by William J.Blenko, who was born in London, England in 1853.  He was fascinated by the idea of glass making at an early age and was apprenticed to stain glass makers in England.  He came to the states to open his own company making glass.  Here in the states in the early 20th century, people making stained glass windows felt that things made in Europe were better than those made state side.  He was forced to moved back to England but returned later to the states and end up in West Virginia where the factory still is today.

Carl Erickson

During the depression demand for stain glass decreased and the company relied on table ware lines using  classical lines and forms..  In 1937 they hired Carl Erickson as foreman 1937-42 some designs may be attributed to him.  The first design director was hired in1947, Winslow Anderson, he was allowed full and unlimited creative freedom.  This started the historic period for Blenko Glass.  During this time from 1947-1974, Blenko had four designers, beside Anderson, were Wayne Husted, Joel Philip Myers and John Nickerson. Each in their turn were responsible for iconic designs for Blenko.

John Nickerson

 Wayne Husted was a pioneer of the  Studio Glass aesthetic movement and Joel Philip Myers carried on in the same tradition as Husted.  John Nickerson was the only designer that had had pervious experience in the glass making field. After 1974 they stopped hiring designers.  They still manufacture stain glass for making windows.