2003 >> November  

Message to readers about contents for this month....

  

   

Goin' To The Dogs

   
   

Porcelain insulator specialist Jason Townsend recently came across two marvelous "go-withs" for his collection. 

Townsend met someone who mentioned he owned two porcelain dogs that had been made at the Locke insulator factory. The owner said he was an employee at the Locke factory more than fifty ...                    [more]



   

The Hunt for Californias

   By Howard Banks

   

Seeking hidden but not so buried treasure

"Dealer Wanted", read the subject line of an email I received in September. The writer explained he had inherited some insulators from his father and wished to sell them, "I've got some that are embossed HEMINGRAY and ...                    [more]



   

Just Shopping Around...

   By Mike McGuire

   

Valentines Day 2002. It was our anniversary, and we decided to get away for a few days in the foothills not too far from home. After our brief, yet pleasant stay, we both were getting restless and opted to spend the rest of our time antiquing. After all we were celebrating our 26th anniversary. I can't imagine ...                    [more]



   

Left Coast Lines

   
   

News From The Western Region
leftcoastlines@insulators.com

Hello Crown Jewels readers, my name is Michael Doyle and I am very excited to be your new Western Region correspondent! I thank God for the many blessings He continues to heap upon me; also my wife, Ruthann, for her love and enthusiastic support; and Dwayne Anthony, Howard and Linda Banks for providing this ...                    [more]



   

Collecting Insulator Related Advertisements

   
   

"Go-Withs" come in many forms for the insulator collector.. From insulator hardware such as metal pins... to bottles made by the same companies that made insulators... to postage stamps depicting telegraph lines or insulators... there are many interesting and inexpensive ways to "spruce up" an insulator collection.

...                    [more]


   A Magazine for Collectors

   
   Photos from "Crown Jewels of the Wire," November 2003
   

CJ In Color!

The following photos are from the November 2003 Crown Jewels of the Wire magazine. These have been provided by the publisher for those wishing to see a color rendition of the black and white photos ...                    [more]



   

Insulator of the Month - Clammy

   
   

Peculiar color. Peculiar insulator. Doug Williams list this CD 724 as one of the favorite insulators in his collection of threadless glass. The color is described in the price guide as "clambroth w/ purple tint". Seems a very apt description for this example in particular, with the bubbles and swirls ...                    [more]



   

Insulator Collecting 101

   
   

One of the most popular insulator styles, shown here in a drawing from McDougald's Price Guide, is called "the Mickey Mouse" after its exaggerated cable groove.

"Mickey Mouse" insulators were made by the Hemingray Glass Company for use in power lines carrying low voltages. The wire, or cable, that carried ...                    [more]



   

HEMINGRAY 42 42

   
   

42  42 is no typo. Collector Van Walls is having fun with his CD 154 Hemingray 42 42. The number 42 is found on both sides of the insulator.

It is possible that this HEMINGRAY - 42 (front) MADE IN U.S.A. / 42 (reverse) is a co-incidental match up of insulator style and mold number. The exact ...                    [more]



   

Molds, Molds and More Molds

   
   

Tucked away in one of many areas, famous for glass houses, is a cache of molds. Cast iron molds, that is! While visiting the Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Villageš in Millville, New Jersey recently, I was taken by the bounty of molds arranged in specific eras of history representing a chronology ...                    [more]



   

Chiloquin Swap Meet

   
   

Chiloquin is a small mountain community nestled in the pines not far from Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon. It's also the site for an insulator swap meet every September at the home of Mid Norris.

The Jefferson State Insulator Club sponsors the meet as one of several backyard swaps held ...                    [more]



   

More on Distribution Rings

   
   

More collectors have sent in information about distribution rings following articles in CJ in June and July.

Gene Condon wrote that in 1953 India issued two stamps commemorating the centenary of the telegraph in that country. A first day cover for those stamps, shown below, depicts a distribution ring. It ...                    [more]



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