MORE NEW FINDS ON THE FOREIGN FRONT

TWO CD 517'S WITH NEW FACES

Collectors of foreign glass are pretty familiar with CD 517. It is a fairly common style and has been rather easy to find at insulator shows. Glass colors include off clear, light straw, sage green, and light blue. All the examples we've seen originated in Italy and have slightly different embossings. Shown below are two new embossing variations.

"CD 517 "

This particular 517 is a pretty light blue. The date (19)78 appears on the front skirt along with a mold number and the trademark. The embossing on the rear skirt is B-100/UNEL-38112. Eric Johnson of Stuart, Florida, who has done some research on Italian insulators while on trips to Italy, attributes this to a company called BORMA, which he believes may be connected in some way to the MIVA factory. On the other hand, it could be a completely independent manufacturer - time will tell. The only other CD's we have seen with this trademark are a couple of cemented three piece insulators - CD 377.2 and CD 383 - so at this time it's an uncommon embossing to collectors on this side of the ocean. I understand that some soft drink bottles from Italy also bear the trademark. 

"CD 517 FLAMREX"

The front skirt of this insulator is embossed B-100/ FLAMREX 80( date) with a mold number 10 on the rear skirt. The glass color is light straw. We wonder if the word FLAMREX indicates that the insulator is made of treated glass like PYREX glass, but because that name was already under copyright, the manufacturer had to call it something else. There are now three known CD's with the FLAMREX trademark - CD 444, CD 517, and CD 1055.2, and they all appear to be of recent production. Hopefully, when Eric goes back to Italy he will be able to find out the name of the company that makes them. In the meantime, we continue to admire the glass!

THIS ONE IS TO DIE FOR!

This has got to be the most beautiful insulator I've ever seen! The rich emerald green color of the glass is breathtaking and judging from its bright shiny appearance, I would say it's probably a relatively new product. FIDENZA is embossed low on the front skirt with No 1 D on the opposite side. This is a new embossing variation for CD 539, the others being MIVA and PYREX.

"CD 539 FIDENZA"

Fidenza Glassworks is a large organization located in the city of Fidenza, northern Italy, with headquarters in Milan. We know of fifteen CD's made by this company and since they are still producing insulators, there must be many other styles that we're unaware of. Fidenza also produces several other glass products, such as jars, lighting fixtures, covers for headlights, building blocks and other special glasses.

ITALIAN SPOOKS COME OUT OF THE CLOSET

Several years ago I purchased a CD 655.5 in light blue aqua from a collector who was gradually easing his way out of the hobby. It was so unusual and so pretty I just had to have it! The insulator was embossed MIVA on the front skirt and B T 2 V on the back. I had no idea what MIVA stood for but I was told that the insulator came from Italy and had been used as a fuse insulator. After staring at those two "eyes" in the crown, I began calling it the "spook" (I'm guilty, I started it and it stuck!). Since that time other glass spooks in various sizes have been found in clear, green, and aqua. Some came from Spain, several from France and a few from other countries that imported French insulators, but no others from Italy. Did I have the only Italian spook? Where were the rest of them? Who dropped the ball?

"CD 655.5 MIVA"

Then just a short time ago, a small number of CD 655.5's were found in an off clear. One of these is shown in the photo above. The embossing is exactly the same as on my light blue aqua insulator, which I suspect may be older than these recent finds. It's quite a feeling to see the two contrasting colors next to each other on the shelf! We now know that MIVA stands for Manifattura lsolatori Vetro Acqui, or (the) Manufacture (of) Glass Insulators (at) Acqui Hot Springs. 

I recently purchased this interesting spook in dark yellow green. It's embossed MIVA on the front skirt and B T 3 V on the reverse side. Notice that this embossing is almost identical to that on the CD 655.5 MIVA above, except for the number 3 on the back which indicates the size of the insulator. This can be confusing - 3 is smaller than 2!

N.R. Woodward has classified the MIVA B T 3 V as a CD 653.1 variation, though it's a bit wider and taller and has more of a slope to the skirt than the FOLEMBRAY No 294 to which this number was originally given.

"CD 653.1 MIVA variation"

WHAT A PAIR!

"CD 641.2 with its porcelain twin"

Pictured on the previous page we have a couple of French gingerbread "Mommas", one in olive green glass and the other in white porcelain. The glass Momma is a CD 641.2, and most collectors are familiar with this style, but it was really a surprise to see the porcelain twin at the London, Ohio Show in November of 1997. It caused quite a stir among collectors in attendance! A shadow profile of this piece has been made, complete with all the measurements, and the insulator is now waiting for a final inked drawing and a U-number.

As you can see, both insulators carry the EST embossing, which is the French word for "East". This indicates that the insulators were used along the East Branch of the French National Railway Line. The CD 641.2 also has the embossing FOLEMBRAY/DÉPOSÉ on the front skirt, but EST is the only marking on the porcelain piece.

JACK SPRAT

These two T-bars remind me of the nursery rhyme called "Jack Sprat". Remember how it goes - "Jack Sprat could eat no fat and his wife could eat no lean". Guess which one is Jack's wife! 

"Ginori T-bars"

"Interior view of T-bars"

Both insulators were manufactured by the old and well established company of Richard Ginori in Milan, Italy. The example to the right in the photo looks normal enough, but the one on the left is a real eye catcher because of its thick profile and short stubby arms. Another interesting thing about it is that it has no inner skirt and was intentionally made that way most unusual for a T-bar. Without a doubt this chubby little fellow was strong enough and heavy enough to do the job for which it was intended, whatever that was.

Many new styles, colors, and embossings are being found now that more collectors are looking for insulators as they travel through foreign countries - and this is exciting!