CD133-Hemingray in Amber
Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", June 1972, page 33
Dear Dora,
Just received my April "Crown Jewels". In your research section you got a letter
from Ken Herring stating he had a Hemingray #20 amber. Your reply to him was that
you thought it was a cobalt treatment.
I have two of the Hemingray 20 ambers for sale. They are not fake, and seem to be
at this time quite rare. They are embossed-
F-Hemingray-20,
B-Made In U.S.A.
They are a beautiful honey (dark) amber. If you would be interested in seeing one I will mail it to you to look at. If you think it is a fake when you see it, I will pay the postage. If you think it is real,
then you pay the postage.
The important point I am trying to make is: When you make a statement saying an insulator is a fake, please know what you are saying, as a false statement
by you sure hurts dealers trying to sell insulators.
By the way, the amber 20's that I have came out of Marshall Montana.
We enjoy your Crown Jewels magazine very much, but please try to be more factual in your comments.
Sincerely,
Larry Rollins
3045 S. 10th
Kansas City, Kans. 66103
P.S. Tom Wolfe in Nebraska has sold them and also a collector by the name Bob
Green of Gladstone, Missouri.
Following is a letter from Bob Green. (Your Editor)
Dear Don & Dora,
I read the letter from Mr. Ken Herring, Livermore, Calif. in the April issue of the Crown Jewels, concerning the
AMBER HEMINGRAY 20 with the numbers and dots on the back.
Also read the answer you gave as to if it was fake or not.
I don't think it was fair to leave the impression that all HEMINGRAY 20 in AMBER are fake, or, as you said, have been
COBALT TREATED.
There are, to my knowledge, at least 4 (probably a lot more) of the AMBER HEMINGRAY 20's that have not had any
sort of treatment except what was done at the factory. I know the small town where these 4 were taken down, and I
also know the lineman who takes them down. He isn't a collector and could care less about them. They differ a
little from the one Mr. Herring was talking about. They have HEMINGRAY-20 on the front and MADE IN U.S.A. on the
back. The embossing is fairly large, and there are no numbers or dots on the back.
I would appreciate it if you would please do something to straighten out the mistake on these pieces of glass. If I
or any one else would happen to have any to trade or sell, it might make it hard to do either if it isn't
straightened out.
Sincerely,
Robert H. Green
1703 NE 72 Terr.
Gladstone, Mo. 64118
Editor's Note: Looks like I opened my big mouth and put my foot in it, huh! As I remember, I said it
sounded like a cobalt
treatment to me. I didn't say it was. In a letter I wrote to Mr. Ken Herring before the April issue appeared I explained to him we
would have to see the insulator before we would know if it had been treated. For clarification, I would like to state here and
now that anyone familiar with glass can usually tell if the color has been changed from clear to amber. The fake amber is a kind
of burnt smoky amber, not pretty at all. Also, if you subject this fake amber to sunlight, it fades back to clear in less
than a year.
Mr. Rollins says his ambers are a beautiful honey (dark) amber, not ugly amber like the fakes. I certainly wouldn't want to hurt any sales or trades on true ambers. I hope I'm here to help, not
hinder. Thank you for writing. Your Editor
In your last issue, I was glad to see the article about the treating of insulators to change color. This is a subject that has bothered me since I first saw a treated one. You are to be commended for publishing this and bringing it to the attention of the uninformed. This type of action will help keep the hobby a
pleasure and not a big hassle. Keep up the good work! (That sounds corny, but it fits.)
Yours truly,
Clyde Wentling
Sterling, Ill.
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