[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 178 (Thursday, December 20, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMENDING THE WORK OF DEBORAH NOVAK AND JOHN WITEK FOR THEIR 
    DOCUMENTARY ``BLENKO RETRO: THREE DESIGNERS OF AMERICAN GLASS''

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                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2001

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, as our country began the long process of 
recovering from the Great Depression and World War II, people sought 
comfort and change in a variety of places and mediums. Consumers turned 
their attention to products that were both energetic and new, and 
Blenko Glass in Milton, West Virginia was one of the American companies 
able to adjust to this new consumerism with their award-winning pieces 
and unique designs.
  I would like to congratulate Huntington, West Virginia residents 
Deborah Novak and John Witek who have once again created an insightful 
and provocative documentary that chronicles three of Blenko's most 
famous and celebrated designers in the era of post-war modernism. 
Titled ``Blenko Retro: Three Designers of American Glass,'' it is the 
second of its kind by the Emmy-Award winners to highlight the 
significance of Blenko as the industry leader in modernity in American 
glass.
  Often said to be reflective of events that were occurring at that 
time, Blenko Glass was able to offer a new attitude to Americans, 
bringing the sleek and bold creations into their homes that were 
parallel to the thirst for modernity and change that swept the nation 
at the end of the World War II. Novak and Witek highlight the role of 
this American institution, emphasizing the important and permanent 
position that Blenko Glass and its designers hold in creative history.

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