Article Photos

Blair will kick off its centennial year on Friday by opening its newly constructed museum for public viewing.

The museum opens it doors to the public at 11 a.m. Friday and will be open during the Blair Retail Store's normal hours after that. Entrance to the museum is through the retail store.

The Blair museum, under the direction of Director James McQuiston, has been a work in progress for the past nine months. While it was opened on a limited basis for a "sneak peek" the evening of the downtown Christmas Walk, it was not completed until this past week.

The museum touches on virtually every aspect of Blair's first century in business, exploring the company's locations, processes, and first family, the Blairs, who built what was founded as the New Process Rubber Company into one of the pioneers of the direct marketing industry and an economic mainstay in their hometown of Warren.

For McQuiston, who heads Blair's Color Correction Department, the opportunity to work on the museum project presented a unique opportunity to blend two of his main interests, a love of history and proficiency in the graphics arts.

"History has always been a passion of mine, and this has given me the opportunity to take an extended look into a company and family that helped shape this community and our industry," said McQuiston. "In the process, I've learned a lot about both the company and the Blairs. The museum gives us a chance to share that knowledge with our customers and the community in a manner that, I hope, captures their interest."

McQuiston is no stranger to creating displays for museums and other institutions. His work has been displayed at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Erie Maritime Museum, the Erie Zoo, Major League Baseball's All Star Game, Kennywood Amusement Park, and Disney World.

McQuiston believes that visitors to the Blair Museum will find a visit enlightening.

"I was constantly amazed by the things I learned each step of the way on this project," said McQuiston. "We've tried to take that 'wow' factor and incorporate it into the museum. Very few of us at Blair, for instance, knew that John L. Blair turned down a position in the Treasury Department during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt or that he served as an informal advisor to FDR."

McQuiston received extensive help in assembling the museum from Blair associates, the Warren County Historical Society, the Blair family, and local historian Chase Putnam, whose father was an early Blair executive.