Sunday, July 10, 2011

Hemingray 42s


I have a thing for vintage glass.  Since I was a young girl, I have collected vintage bottles and all kinds of glass odds and ends.  Yesterday, at Gee Dub (my local Goodwill store) a pair of Hemingray glass insulators jumped out and grabbed me.  They were a steal at $3.00 each.  Of course, I love the fact that they are vintage glass, but I am especially drawn to the wonderful industrial shape and history, as well.

Glass insulators were used on wooden telephone poles, in the first half of the last century, made by various manufacturers in a variety of unique shapes and colors.  After a bit of research, I found that my Hemingray 42s are the "Double Petticoat" style (isn't that cute?) and were manufactured from 1921 through the 1950s.

Apparently, insulators are quite collectible.  There are regional insulator shows, clubs, and even the National Insulator Association, if you are so inclined.

64 comments:

  1. Awesome! So many of these were used for target practice by kids with their .22 rifles, at least according to my father (who admitted his guilt), that what was once commonplace is now highly collectible. May I be the first to say that you have a quite lovely pair of insulators?

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  2. I love collecting...we seem to have an eye for like things,,

    happy weekend

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  3. Yes, you may, Dr. L. (giggle) Thank you.

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  4. Oh, what a wonderful montage of color in that window, Tess--I'll bet you get wonderful effects when light streams in through them. Love the Hemingrays! i've always loved their shapes--love the color you found!

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  5. Sue, when I was researching them online, I saw some fabulous examples in cobalt, violet and amber. I think I might have to turn my two into a full fledged collection!

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  6. A great find. Your glass collection is really nice, especially with sun in the window.

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  7. I am sure they look lovely on that window sill with the light shining through them - surely the best of all places to display them.

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  8. Dear old Willow Manor has wonderfully deep 12 inch window sills, perfect for my hodge-podge-lodge of collections.

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  9. Oh those are fancy insulators. The stainglass effect of glass in your sun lit windows is gorgeous! I think I still have a green one somewhere! I dont think they still have pcb's on them? Geeze hopefully not! I have a red glass heart in my window and a skinny blue wine bottle (from icewine).Do love the amber warmth. The rainbow effect from crystal is also pure magic!

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  11. I'm trying to imagine a gathering of the National Insulator Association. It's not doing much for my sanity!

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  12. tess i have a friend who collects these with her husband. they root around old railway tracks, barns, garage sales and come up with insulators, some of which are fabulous to look at and others of which are very valuable. steven

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  13. Oh, you're so lucky to have deep window ledges to display your glass and other paraphernalia. I'm truly envious:)

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  14. Love the mix of colours and shapes in the photo.

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  15. I'd never heard of that -- thank you for once again educating me! Your window ledge is absolutely marvelous with all that vintage glass.

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  16. I had two tealish insulators years ago. Have no idea what happened to them, guess they got garage saled out. I agree, Double Petticoat Hemingray sounds delicious.

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  17. I’m not a collector, but liked finding these green glass insulators at flee markets and antique shows. I would pick them up and want to come up with a use for them, to justify taking them home. I don’t know why I needed a reason back then. Much of what I have now can’t be justified. They are wonderful art on their own. But like I said I’m not a collector. Looks like I missed out on owning some wonderful art.

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  18. they are great. i recall someone in my past history with a collection though cant remember who. someone in my husband's family. of course they were a dime a dozen back then!

    what a fun place yr local goodwill store is.

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  19. Suki, I am addicted to my little Goodwill store. I must visit once a week, or I go into Gee Dub withdrawals.

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  20. Tess, I suppose we are all insulated from your insulators--which is a good thing.

    I used to shoot them thangs. Well, I shot AT them. Lousy shot.

    Cannot help but love your imagination, wit, and that you share both with us...daily.

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  21. Some of the Telegraph wire insulators were made from Uranium glass and are either yellow or green. Radiation is pretty negligible though, you can place them on photographic paper and develop some pretty cool images..Cheers mate!

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  22. I used to have a collection of those. Sadly, they went by the way when we moved from house to apartment. (One cannot take everything.) Sniff.

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  23. Stunning objects - great spot. And that's a beautiful window shot.

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  24. You have an eye for the Interesting Unusual. And your collection is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing it.

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  25. From high school on I was a bottle and insulator collector. My next door neighbors and I would search the creek beds and old abandoned homesteads in south Texas for dumps, then dig through them for glass shards and bottles.

    It's really an illness, but a pleasant one!

    Tess, you've reminded me of a time when I climbed old telephone poles to collect the old insulators....a wonder I didn't kill myself or worse! I think I may have to write a story about it if you don't mind!!

    Rick

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  26. Great buy Tess & how amazing do all those bottles look on that window sill, jusg gorgeous.
    Oh... look over the to the left of the window, I see one of your magpie prompts, No 17! The one that inspired me to write about Medusa.

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  27. Rick, I know I've said this before, but it would be so fun to go antiquing with you. We like the same things!

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  28. Katherine, yes! That old metal cigarette lighter head is in the window sill. You are very observant, my friend!

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  29. Jeffery, I am intrigued, and also clueless. I would love to make prints with these. Tell me more!

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  30. If you have a darkroom place the insulators on top of some photographic paper ,start with 10 to 20 mins resting on the paper...if they're uranium glass you'll get an exposure when you develop the paper..It's also possible with some old watches with radium or phosphorus on their dials for luminescence...Hope that helps.

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  31. I love the look of your collection of vintage glass Tess, I just would not want to be the one keeping it dusted.

    OK, OK I', no saint and have quite a collection of coloured glass and antique crystal as well, sigh and I'm the one who keeps it all polished and sparkling.

    But I also drink out of my 19th.cent. Waterford crystal whisky glasses and believe me, a single malt tastes delicious out of them.

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  32. It's a contact print a bit like an X-ray. Residual radiation from the glass will create a corona or halo pattern on the paper..The principle was discovered in Madame Curie's day and led to the field of X-rays. Strong fields can even be used with found objects like leaves or feathers under the insulator..Depends on your glass really..Local Uni might have a Geiger counter you could check them with.

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  33. Fascinating, the top picture looks like a detail from an Edward Hopper painting!

    Jeffery,
    thanks for the uranium glass information!
    Theoretically, wouldn't Polaroid film be a way around needing a darkroom?

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  34. Fascinating, the top picture looks like a detail from an Edward Hopper painting!

    Jeffery,
    thanks for the uranium glass information!
    Theoretically, wouldn't Polaroid film be a way around needing a darkroom?

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  35. Merisi! Yep! That'll work too..it can be a long exposure though depending on the glass, up to 2 hours
    possibly depending on the Uranium content which can be as high as 25% in really old Carnival style glass. I haven't found any links to share on the topic sorry! My Math teacher at school taught us some many moons ago! Oh! And Uranium glass will literally glow under UV or Black light so there's a non Geiger counter test.

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  36. I've been trying to think of the word all day, then Click! It's very similar to Kirlian Photography!.Hehe..Have fun!

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  37. I love tagging along on your shopping sprees!

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  38. Fascinating stuff, Jeffery. I don't know if I'm techie enough to pull it off, but I'm going to consider it. I love this kind of thing.

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  39. There are lots of us out there that collect Insulators ;) The Big National show is going on right now in California. If you love insulators and old glass take a peek at my 2 sites!

    Shaun
    http://www.hemingray.net
    http://ww.allinsulators.com

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  40. There are Ghosts in the machine M'lady and many ways to glimpse them.The secret lives of the inanimate for those that dare to peek!..Cheers!

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  41. What wonderful additions to your collection, Tess. I wonder how many conversations have passed in and around these charming objects?

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  42. Thanks for the links, Shaun! I'm off to take a look...

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  43. Jeffery, ghosts abound at Willow Manor! They've been seen quite often without machines or gadgets.

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  44. We here in Oz had china insulators mainly and they seemed to be made with care and pride!
    BTW, thanks for the Chrome tip. Working well.

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  45. Man oh Man, the Goodwill store has made my home a big cluttery mess but we can't seem to resist the hidden treasures contained within. Lovely collection.

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  46. Ford, you're welcome. Chrome was a huge help to me, as well.

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  47. Gary, oh, I hear ya. I've had to become very selective in my Gee Dub purchases. Hodge Podge Lodge abounds!

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  48. My husband collected one once, it sat on a shelf, then his crazy wife(me) was cleaning, donated it to the thrift shop. Then husband came home one day, with an insulator, I found another one he said. She looked at him and said, that is yours. Opps.
    Crazy wife, never purges husbands collections anymore.

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  49. My mother used to have each of her fence posts topped with a different insulator, which she had found at various flea markets. Years later, I still keep my eyes peeled for her when I'm amongst dusty treasure....

    - Dina

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  50. Tess -- Beautiful glass collection -- nice om the sun-lite window ledge -- barbara

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  51. I love these and have seen bottle trees made from them.

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  52. These are the perfect addition to your window collection. I had never heard of insulators and when I first looked a your post tilte, I thought it said Hemingway : )

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  53. Tess, these are really odd collections. I've seen almost the same thing at my grandma's house during a vacation last summer. Grandma seemed to love them much and somehow i understand why. I always find you odd in every ways - and i love it. Life would be a lot boring if we're all created the same. thanks for sharing.

    Good day!

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  54. K.S.M., yes, I love odd. Glad you appreciated my oddness. I take it as a huge compliment. :)

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  55. just seeing the color made me smile and want to run to an antique and start rummaging--great find!!

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  56. I must look up that website to see whether such glass insulators are just an American thing or whether they were used in this country too. If they were, you can guess I will be collecting them before the month is out.

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  57. Thanks again, Jeffery!

    I have to ask about which kind of insulators were used here. I remember photos of telegraph poles, but the insulators looked as if they were made of white porcelain.

    I suppose it would not be wise nowadays to try to ship any uranium glass insulators. ;-)

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  58. just lovely. you have such an eye.

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  59. I have box of old insulators somewhere in the garage - given to me by a relative who thought I was interested in them. I'd love to be rid of the lot.

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  60. Hey, Bill, I might like to have them. Are they in good condition?

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  61. What a lovely photo, Willow. So well done and what a wonderful collection too. Hope you are enjoying your summer.

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  62. I am not a collector of those either, but I have 5 of those in my kitchen window. They are the clear ones and have a different name.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)