Home
  Search Archives     
  Available Archives
   1969-1979
   1980-1989
   1990-1999
   2000-2009
   2010-2017
    1969    
    1969    
1970
1970
1970
1971
1971
1971
1972
1972
1972
1973
1973
1973
1974
1974
1974
1975
1975
1975
1976
1976
1976
1977
1977
1977
1978
1978
1978
1979
1979
1979
    1980    
    1980    
1981
1981
1981
1982
1982
1982
1983
1983
1983
1984
1984
1984
1985
1985
1985
1986
1986
1986
1987
1987
1987
1988
1988
1988
1989
1989
1989
    1990    
    1990    
1991
1991
1991
1992
1992
1992
1993
1993
1993
1994
1994
1994
1995
1995
1995
1996
1996
1996
1997
1997
1997
1998
1998
1998
1999
1999
1999
    2000    
    2000    
2001
2001
2001
2002
2002
2002
2003
2003
2003
2004
2004
2004
2005
2005
2005
2006
2006
2006
2007
2007
2007
2008
2008
2008
2009
2009
2009
    2010    
    2010    
2011
2011
2011
2012
2012
2012
2013
2013
2013
2014
2014
2014
2015
2015
2015
2016
2016
2016
2017
2017
2017

 
   2002 >> July >> Macs Believe It or Not  

Mac's Believe It or Not!
by John McDougald

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", July 2002, page 26

From the ICE AQUA mounds of Muncie, Indiana

Nothing super rare about these two oddities from Indiana, just an interesting first-time entry and re-entry into the hobby of two unusual looking ice aqua insulators. As my two-year-old grandson Owen would say, "It meIls, Grandad" --- like HEMINGRAY for both of these pieces. 

A RE-ENTRY: The first is an unusual spool (CD 1057) that was noted in Milholland's Most About Glass Insulators, 4th Revision, 1976, page 429. It was attributed to Kenneth Nettles of BargerviIle, Indiana. This spring Ken contacted me about purchasing his collection and Carol stopped to pick up the insulators on her way to the Smithsonian Institution/N.I.A. March marathon. Ken was proud that his insulator had been featured in the 1976 reference books, and rightfully so. To my knowledge, I have only heard rumors of two similar spools currently in collections.

Fortunately Elton Gish never leaves home without his shadow profile kit (what that guy can do with a flashlight and a piece of clear glass), so his services were enlisted to draw the spool when Carol saw him in Washington, D.C. 

Ken Nettles knew that he had gotten the spool from some of the "Muncie dump boys" in the early 70's. So, he was quite sure it was a product of Hemingray. I am in agreement. 

The "upper body" of the spool is similar to the more common Hemingray CD 1052 spool. However, there is a skirt that adds 7/8" of depth and there is a slotted base below the "arm" and at 180° from the "arm".

The Milholland photo didn't depict the size of the spool or the slotted base, so the photos and the new shadow profile are most helpful in making it a recognizable style.


Base of CD 1057 showing the two slots in front of the
 "arm" and at 180° from the "arm."


(Left) Showing the slots on the base while resting 
on the "top" of the spool, "arm" in front.
(Right) Showing the slots on the base while resting on 
the base photographed from the "un-armed" side.


A FIRST-TIME ENTRY: This interesting piece was traded for by Rick Soller on his way to the Mansfield Bottle Show in May. Carol was set up next to Rick at the show, and he indicated he had gotten a "neat piece" from a bottle collector in Muncie on his way to the show.

When he pulled out the insulator, Mrs. Mac nearly died. She can really get excited about the good fortune of another collector. So much so, that when she called me to report on the show, the first thing she said was, "You should see Rick Soller's strain!" Of course, I pictured crutches, bandages, or the very worst traction!! 

Well, Rick has a great looking guy wire strain in ice blue aqua. And, the fact that he came out of a collection in Muncie would make me believe that it, too, is a product of Hemingray. As grandson Owen would say, "It mells, grandad!" 

Carol put together a crude drawing of the piece and took some pictures to share with me so I could see what kind of "strain" Rick really had! Believe It Or Not!


A strain with no pain -- a gain!



| Magazine Home | Search the Archives |