The Blockhouse of Boston

The Blockhouse of Boston

Company type	Cooperative
Industry	Art and design, Textile printing
Founded	1947
Founder	Graduates and students from Massachusetts College of Art
Defunct	1955
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts , United States
Key people	Janet Doub Erickson (chief designer), Paul Coombs (business management)
Products	Linoleum blockprints, screen-printed textiles (draperies, wall hangings, table linens, costume embellishments)

The Blockhouse of Boston was an innovative cooperative dedicated to art and design, established in 1947 by graduates and students from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Massachusetts. Under the leadership of chief designer Janet Doub Erickson, the cooperative crafted unique textiles such as draperies, wall hangings, table linens, and costume embellishments. Blockhouse gained recognition for its pioneering use of linoleum blockprints and screen printing, merging New England motifs with striking ethnic patterns inspired by pre-Columbian art alongside modernist elements. Erickson’s creative inspirations spanned a variety of cultures including those from New Guinea, China, Guatemala, and Native American traditions.

Her designs also reflected influences drawn from Boston’s architectural heritage and local history.

Origins

Established in 1947 by a group of twelve students and alumni from the Massachusetts College of Art, Blockhouse sought to “offer artists a dignified and mutually beneficial connection with the consumer.”

The founders expressed their vision as follows:

"Blockhouse hand-printed fabrics represent the work of artists seeking a fresh and socially meaningful outlet for their creativity. We aspire that our designs, created with innovative insight and technical expertise, will encourage appreciation for contemporary design moving toward a universal language."

Organization

Originally housed in a gallery within the Oceanside Hotel and Casino on Lexington Avenue in Magnolia, Massachusetts, then relocating to Cambridge Street in Boston, Blockhouse ultimately settled on a floor at 10 Arlington Avenue overlooking Boston Common as it grew.

In the early days, members resided communally in two small apartments on-site—separated by gender—with minimal rent while dedicating time to studio work. The cooperative’s operations were funded through modest five-dollar contributions from each member.

According to the Boston Globe: "all responsibilities were shared equally. No salaries were drawn. Income derived from designing and printing activities; designers received 70% of sales revenue while the remainder supported cooperative expenses. Prices were deliberately kept affordable—drapery fabric retailed for as low as $5 per yard—to attract a wide customer base."

Artists at Blockhouse controlled every phase of production to preserve artistic integrity despite slower manufacturing speeds. In addition to production work, Blockhouse provided instructional courses in silk screening and block printing techniques as well as ceramics, sketching, and painting.

Over time, the cooperative transitioned toward a more commercially oriented model. By its dissolution in 1955, only partners Janet Doub Erickson and Paul Coombs remained actively involved before Erickson departed for Mexico to explore other creative pursuits.

Impact

Blockhouse's importance went beyond its pioneering design approach, as it effectively utilized postwar marketing techniques to introduce avant-garde artistic creations to wider audiences across New England and the United States. Between 1947 and 1955, Blockhouse's work was featured in leading magazines and newspapers including Life, Vogue, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, The Christian Science Monitor, Women's Wear Daily, and the Boston Globe.

Several firms, such as Wesley Simpson, Inc., Stoffel and Company, Strauss & Mueller, J.H. Thorp, Arundell Clarke, M. Lowenstein Sons, Century Sportswear, and The Boka Company, commercially reproduced Blockhouse designs. These textiles also gained prominence in advertising campaigns, boosting brand recognition.

The company strategically engaged with elite cultural institutions by exhibiting at Harvard's Fogg Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Additional exhibitions were held at venues like the Addison Gallery of American Art, Wadsworth Atheneum, Farnsworth Art Museum, and Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. During the 1950s, the United States State Department included their textiles in international exhibits that toured Europe and Israel.

Legacy

After Blockhouse ceased operations, its members scattered throughout New England and other parts of the country, continuing to create art and teach textile design inspired by Blockhouse’s methods on a national scale. Today, most surviving Blockhouse textiles reside in private collections and galleries.

Notable members

Founded and led by Paul Coombs and Janet Doub Erickson, both alumni of Massachusetts College of Art, Blockhouse benefited from their complementary talents. Coombs, a veteran of two world conflicts, oversaw business management and commercialization while also contributing original artwork.

Among the initial team were Elaine Biganess and David Berger.

Janet Doub Erickson held the roles of lead designer and production director, responsible for nearly ninety percent of the company’s designs. She was distinguished as the second young Boston artist honored by the Institute of Contemporary Art and was featured in a 1951 edition of Life. Erickson authored key texts on block printing including Printmaking Without A Press (1966) and Block Printing on Textiles (1961), which helped revive interest in block printing after World War II. Her teaching extended across various states, and she later published works on textile design as well as vernacular architecture, incorporating line drawings from her Blockhouse period.

Eight additional artists joined the collective but had more limited involvement in design creation, production processes, and business development.