Collecting Glass Insulators

If you’re looking for something that is both interesting and pretty, as well as inexpensive to collect, then why not try collecting the antique insulators that have been used on telephone and telegraph poles literally since the inception of the telegraph.

Glass insulating pieces were first produced in the mid 1850′s to be used on the telegraph lines that were popping up all over the US. Then in the early twenties, when electricity and telephone began to move over the open copper wires, each pole had a glass insulator fitted to it, and people began to see them as pretty pieces to collect when they came down.

 The insulators that were fitted were in all different shapes, sizes and multiple colors, and were actually made of far more than just glass, with some being made of pottery, glass, metal (don’t ask me??) rubber and ever some quite fine grade porcelain.

The glass and porcelain ones are collected these days very extensively, particularly by the manufacturer or the color of the piece.

Very often the glass insulators will be marked, much like any other type of glass collectible, by company names, such as Hemingray Glass Company of Indiana, while others will have the name of the actual telephone company on them, such as Am Tel & Tel, for the American Telephone and Telegraph company.

YOu will for the most part find that insulators are marked on the skirt, or the lower and wider portion of the glass.
Some of the most common company names you’re going to find will be Kerr, Maydwell, NEGM, Diamond or Whitall Tatum.

THe age of your insulators can usually be determined by the markings on it as well, as there are often patent dates on them

The last insulators manufactured in the US were made in 1979, which makes them about thirty years old.. still old enough to be a viable collectors item
 

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