Character Study
Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", March 2007, pg 19
Giant bubbles. Amber swirls. Frothy glass. Lots can happen in the making of
an insulator to create specimens with special character. Swirls in the cobalt
signal above seem to resemble a prehistoric drawing of a cave bear. In the one
on the cover, the swirls seem to form a lion, or the Sphinx.
Insulators like these have long been favorites of Bill Reid. Crown Jewels is
proud to present a photo essay on this and the following page of just a few of
the cool specimens in Bill's collection. See the cover, front & back, for
more examples.
Editors Note: To bring out the special characteristics on some specimens,
we've edited (lightened) the original color of the insulators. As a result, the
color isn't fully accurate on some specimens.
Bill (right) has one of the finest collections of two-tone Californias to be
found, with many dramatic specimens like the ones above.
But he likes all kinds of unique insulators, such as the Hemingray 42 with
extra-long drip points (below), or the Star beehive filled with "silly
string" at the lower right.
Thanks, Bill, for sharing some of the fun of the hobby with us.
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(Front cover)
(Back cover)
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