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   2000 >> October >> Foreign Insulators  

Foreign Insulators
by Marilyn Albers

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", October 2000, page 14

MORE NEW CD NUMBERS FOR FOREIGN GLASS
INSULATOR STYLES - KEEP 'EM COMING!

The insulators included in this article were on view at the recent NIA Show and Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the weekend of July 27-30, 2000. Happily, they have all been given new CD numbers.                 
                                                                                                      


"New CD 644.5"

This tiny Gingerbread 'Baby' is on loan from Bernie Warren of Alaska. It is 2-5/8" tall and has a base diameter of 2". Embossed on the skirt is the name "Folembray", which indicates that the insulator was made by the Folembray factory in Aisne, Northern France. The glass color of this little one is a pretty yellow green.


"New CD 644.5 finds a spot between CD 640 on the left
 and CD 641 to the right."


"New CD 500.5 on the left sits 
beside New CD 1084 to the right"

The two tiny insulators in the photo shown above have been waiting patiently for new CD numbers and at last they have been assigned. You may recognize the little fellow on the left because I included it in an article I wrote back in October for the 1999 issue of Crown Jewels of the Wire magazine. Until just recently N.R. Woodward was hesitant to give this one a CD number until he could be reasonably certain it was a working insulator rather than a salesman's sample - it's only 1-1/8" tall and that is tiny for an authentic insulator! But it's now been resolved and is classified as new CD 500.5.

The little glass spool to the right in the photo is now new CD 1084. It is 1-15/16" in diameter and 7/8" in height. Embossed around the center hole at the top is the name "Folembray" and "Depose" follows around the bottom curve on the same side. The color of glass is yellow green, which is typical of Folembray insulators.


"New CD 679.9"

To my knowledge, CD 679.9 is absolutely the smallest glass insulator to be found in this particular style, which is fondly referred to as the "T-bar"! The color of glass is a pretty yellow green and the "Folembray" name is embossed on the skirt. This little insulator is only 2-1/4" in height with an arm span of 2-1/2" and a base diameter of 1-5/8". As you can see, the cement and metal pin have been been left in place so there will be no doubt about its authenticity as a working insulator. This one was probably taken down from the side of a building.

The name "ISOREX" is skirt embossed on this insulator and the numbers "231" are in the same location on the opposite side. This little insulator is only 2-3/4" in height with a base diameter of 2-1/8". The glass color is a very dark olive green. Obviously this insulator is not a new design because "ISOREX" has produced several different sizes of this particular profile through all the years they've been in business, but because this particular example is so small, it has been classified as new CD 548.


"New CD 548"

This insulator was found in Ukraine and to date it is the tallest and heaviest example of this type I've ever seen. It is 5-3/8" in height with a base diameter of 3-3/4". 

The color of this gorgeous 'hunk' is green aqua but it's very thick glass and this is why it weighs a full 2-1/2 lbs on the scale. Russian letters and numbers are embossed on both sides of the skirt but it takes someone who knows the language to be able to interpret them. In the near future I will try to find some answers to share with Crown Jewels of the Wire readers. 

The CD 579.6 was on Quentin Marty's sales table at the NIA national this past July where I purchased it for my collection. The CD number was assigned by N.R. Woodward. All the insulators presented in this article, with the exception of new CD 579.6 from Ukraine, were found in France and brought back to the States by Bernie Warren.


"New CD 579.6"



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