Here is some new stuff I would like to share with Crown Jewels of the Wire subscribers and insulator collectors. First is a new C.D. I located the piece in October 1994 at the Brookfield factory site in Old Bridge, New Jersey. It has since been assigned C.D. 175.5 by N.R. Woodward.

I live in central New Jersey, and when I read that Brookfield operated in Old Bridge I had to go have a look. I phoned John and Carol McDougald who referred me to Jim Frustieri, another New Jersey collector who had dug Brookfield in the past. Upon speaking with Jim, I was provided with an exact location and some advice: to save any power pieces, even broken, because "You might find a new C.D." I did and it was. After I found the CD 175.5, Jim and I discussed it on several occasions. During our discussions, rather than referring to the piece without a C.D. as "that piece," I nicknamed it "the Master Cylinder" because of its cylindrical shape.

I found the broken insulator among many broken insulators lying in the mud along the river bank. I have been to the site a few times and have found only a couple of very common insulators that were whole. I haven't seen anything else that was rare, even broken.

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I obtained a copy of the patent from Elton Gish after I showed it to Ray Klingensmith at the Yankee Pole Cat Insulator Club Show in March of 1995. Ray identified it as a M & H with a patent date of May 18, 1915. I brought the piece to the National in Marlborough, Massachusetts and it was photographed by John McDougald who very graciously mailed copies of the photographs to Mr. Woodward and myself.

When I spoke to Mr. Woodward on the telephone, he said he was willing to give the piece a C.D. number because it was so close to the patent, and because several existing porcelain insulators are covered under the same patent. Mr. Woodward said he didn't know where to place it [in the listing of CDs] because it was so different; however, he decided on CD 175.5 because, like the CD 175, it is a drop line insulator.

I realize it is less than half an insulator, but it was still a thrill to find a new C.D. and also to be able to get the patent. WOW!! 

Also, I recently located some photographs of the Brookfield factory which I would like to share. I understand that photographs of the Brookfield Glass Company are relatively scarce. Photo # 1 (one smoke stack) comes to us courtesy of Helen Appleby Silvester, a life-long resident of the historic village of Old Bridge. The photograph is from a glass plate negative used for postcards which was found in a home in Old Bridge. 

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Photo #2 (two smoke stacks) is an enlargement of a postcard owned by Alberta Yuhas. Alberta is Co-curator of the East Brunswick Museum in which the postcard is housed. I met Helen and Alberta on one of many trips to Old Bridge in search of yard sales where I might find insulators or "old timers" who might have glass for trade or sale. 

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Photo #3 (three smoke stacks) is a reproduction of a card I found at Cobweb Collectibles arid Antique Store in Cranford, New Jersey. I have been to several post card shows since and have thumbed through thousands of cards, but I've yet to find another Brookfield Glass Company. I have, however, found cards from the Armstrong Cork Company, Millville, New Jersey, the Corning Glass Works, Corning, New York and the Lapp Insulator Company of Leroy, New York.

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I am sure more post cards of glass companies exist. Anyone who owns such cards or locates any, please contact me for possible trades of reproductions. Good luck to anyone who goes in search of these rare pictures of insulator companies past.

I would like to thank the collectors who helped with the CD 175.5, and I would also like to thank Helen and Alberta for allowing me to reproduce their photos. I am not trying to discourage other collectors, but there is not much left at the Brookfield site. The bulk has been paved over for an apartment complex. It is private property and I have been asked to leave in the past. I would hate for someone to get in trouble because of what I have written.

I would like to wish collectors the same good fortune I have been: blessed with, especially beginners like myself. Keep digging and looking in flea markets and yard sales. They are out there. Good luck!! .