Violet Brown, Our Friend

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", April 2000, page 3

I have always wanted to write an article about someone whom I admired. I have always wanted to write an article on someone whom I found to be honest, helpful, caring and considerate of others. Well, I finally got my opportunity to do just that. The person I'm speaking about is Violet Brown who over the years has been instrumental in the development of the insulator hobby here in the Pacific northwest. Vi, along with her late husband Andy were pioneers of the hobby who greatly influenced and mentored many of us over the years about the aspects of collecting insulators. It is through their efforts and dedication of time the hobby has grown to what it is today. 

Andy and Vi Brown receiving their National Insulator 
Association Lifetime Membership cards at the
Bakersfield, California show in 1989.

Andy and Vi started "gathering" insulators in 1969 while on a hunting trip. 1 do not know if they bagged a deer that day, but 1 do know they exceeded their limit picking up Hemingray-44's! "They were all over the place" Vi, recalls, "there were simply just too many for us to carry." It was from that day on, that the hunt was on for both types of game. Vi remembers vividly that Andy was not quite as enthusiastic as the others were about insulators. Andy was even quoted as saying, "I wouldn't give you a nickel for a car load of them." Hmmmm....... Anyway, that's how it all began. 

Browns mentored young collectors 
(top to bottom): David Benko, 
Dale Huber and Steve Watkins.

Not too long after that, "insulator fever" worked its way into other family members and friends alike. It was from that point on if you went to see the Browns and they were not home, it was a safe bet they could be found up on Stampede Pass in Washington state working the wrecked out telephone lines that made their way through the Cascades. Back in those early days, a typical weekends work would produce California CD 208 crosstops in purple, CD 141's (aka "straight-ups") in shades of light aqua to emerald green and the highly underrated Brookfield No Leak D, CD 211 in varying shades of aqua including green. A lot of good glass came off that line and many of those pieces found in collections today can be easily be traced back to those early days.

Vi with perennial Enumclaw show 
participants Bill Reid and Ed Sellberg.

It was about that same time, Andy and Vi realized others around the area shared the same interest in collecting insulators as they did. That is when they decided to put together a show and "trade" insulators. Vi recalls no one in those days would dare spend money for an insulator. Boy have times changed or what?

It was in 1972, the Browns rented the Grange Hall in Redmond and hosted a ten table show. It was not too long after that the show grew out of that building and they had to move it to the larger local community center. Well, that was a good idea but short lived as they soon out grew that facility too. 

That is when the show found its new and present home in Enumclaw, WA. Which, by the way, is where this year's Western Regional is going to be held in May. (See Display ad on page 51). It is here where you can usually find well over a hundred well stocked tables filled with insulators, phones, bottles and other collectibles. People come from all over to buy sell and maybe even "trade." It is a collector's paradise. 

Chuck Irwin has been a faithful
dealer at the Enumclaw event.

Dave Moffatt has served as one 
of the supporting show hosts in 
recent years along with long-time 
friends of the Browns, Joe
 and Jeanne Bridges.

Thank you, Jeannie Bridges, for
digging through photo albums to 
supply the accompanying pictures 
for this article.

Of course when a show grows to this size, it requires more of everything including people to make it all come together. Over the years there have been many dedicated supporters. This would include both family and friends. Besides Vi's family, you can always expect to see Joe and Jeannie Bridges, Dave Moffat and Jim Sinsley there helping out. Joe and Jeannie both hold many fond memories of the early tailgaters and digs with the Browns and the others. As far as shows go, this is the big one for the Pacific Northwest. 

As some of you know, and many may not know, this will be Vi's last show. Vi has decided to retire from hosting the Enumclaw show. Though she will never stop collecting or attending shows and mentoring others in the insulator hobby, she has decided to let someone else take over next year to continue what she and Andy and the others started so many short years ago.

It is to this end, on behalf of my very good friend Vi Brown, I invite all of you to attend this year's Western Regional Show at Enumclaw and help make Vi's last show one to remember.

Vi at Stampede Pass campout.

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Tribute written by Paul Ziemer, who will host a state of Washington show in 2001.