CD272 Whitall Tatum 511A

Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", January 1973, page 4

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY N. R WOODWARD

Author of The Glass Insulator In America

Question sent in by V. Arnold Smith of Morgan, Utah: I have been collecting insulators only in recent years, and have become quite interested in this new hobby. I have learned a great deal from it, and am always searching for new information. However, I have a question that no one I know can answer. The question is, "Did the Whitall Tatum Company produce No. 511 A (CD 272) in red or ruby red?" I have seen it listed in the latter, as well as amber, deep amber, red amber and clear. I wondered at first whether the red listings could have been meant for red amber. Recently, though, I noted an ad on insulators that listed the following: "Whitall Tatum 511 A ruby red $30.00." This seems like a high price for an amber, especially when Pyrex carnivals were selling for $8.00 in the same ad. Anyway, if you could shed some light on this subject it will be appreciated.

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In reply to Arnold Smith: Here we go again on the subject of red insulators! The Whitall Tatum No. 511A is a relatively recent insulator; and it was produced in clear (including pale straw and perhaps other tints) and amber. We have no evidence that it was ever produced in red; nor is there any logical explanation why it should have been. A number of clear insulators have been painted with a bright red paint which adheres to glass and dries transparent, giving an impression of red glass. If the Whitall Tatum No. 511A were a bona fide factory red glass insulator, it would certainly command a price higher than $30.00 if offered by a knowledgeable seller.