As with old Brookfields little is known of the early Hemingrays except that a patent was issued December 19, 1871 to Robert Hemingray covering a method of forming insulators. This report deals with insulators so embossed and a few with the May 2, 1893 patent (covering drip points) which were continuations of earlier styles.

BACKGROUND

Before concentrating on Hemingray it might be interesting to look briefly at why so many companies tried their hand at making insulators. Glass houses in those days were fire traps, and there probably wasn't a pleasant job in the place. Even so, as with many other lines of work, if the money was good, the job could be tolerated at least for a while.

Telegraph building during the second half of the 19th century was a booming business. For instance, in an address at the Morse Testimonial June 10, 1871 William Orton, then president of Western Union, stated that in the U.S. alone there were 180, 000 miles of telegraph wire and among Europe, India, and Australia another 475, 000 miles. Further, the industry as a whole was expanding at the rate of 100,000 miles of wire per year. Another account lists nearly 290,000 miles of wire in the U.S. early in 1878. This adds up to a growth rate of 17,000 miles per year in the U.S. alone between mid-1871 and 1878.

These lines needed insulators. If one assumes that poles were placed every 150 feet or about 35 poles per mile, then 35 insulators were needed per mile of wire. A Tillotson catalog from sometime in the 1880's lists insulator prices at $35 to $50 per thousand. Assuming an average price of $40 per thousand, one mile of wire insulation cost about $1.50. Using the 17,000 mile per year growth rate this meant someone was being paid over $25,000 per year to furnish insulation in the U.S. alone.

While it is true that workers had to be paid and raw materials to make glass had to be purchased from this gross amount, still $1 was worth about three times what it is now; and there were very few taxes. It is not hard then to see why people wanted to make insulators especially if they already had an established glass house as did Hemingray.

According to Woodward's The Glass Insulator in America 1967 Report, Hemingray glass started in 1848, the Covington Kentucky plant was in operation by 1858, and in 1874 the name became Hemingray Glass Company with Robert Hemingray president. A plant was built in Muncie, Indiana and began operation around 1890 though it is not known whether or not they made insulators. The Covington plant operated until 1919 when it was destroyed by flood, and the Muncie plant operated through 1933 when it was sold to Owens-Illinois.

The insulators themselves are for the most part 3 part mold. Early models are what I call old 3 part mold; i. e. the mold seam goes around the insulator high on the dome. The others are what is normally thought of as 3 part mold which I'll call new 3 part mold. One cannot accurately date Hemingrays this way though as there appears to be quite an overlapping period when both mold styles were used.

There may have been some 2 part mold Hemingrays (the picture accompanying the Dec. 19, 1871 patent shows a 2 part mold insulator of the Brookfield WUT style), but as of this writing I don't know of any.

Hemingray embossing differs from Brookfield in that the numbers refer to the styles, and letters designate lot numbers. A signal then with the 1871 patent on one side and a 2 on the other is a Hemingray 2. One can be reasonably sure this is correct because the number 4 Dec 19 1871 for instance was later embossed Hemingray 4 (see numbers 4A and 4B on the list).

One other Hemingray feature is the flat collar at the base of the screw threads which was included in the Hemingray patent. According to the patent the insulator was formed by first pouring a quantity of glass into the mold. Next a floating plunger was pressed into the mold pushing the molten glass around it thus forming the insulator. When the glass reached the right height in the mold the screw mandrel formed the threads through a hole in the bottom of the plunger. This plunger, because it could be pushed to any given depth compensated for too little or too much glass in the mold.

ABOUT THE LIST

The list contains only insulators I have seen and consists of the following:

1. An identifying number which corresponds with a drawing (drawings appear at the end of the list).

2. Woodward's CD number if any.

3. Embossing (a slash / means a new line, F means front, and B means back).

4. Color

5. Type of mold

6. Rarity

7. Additional comments

Rarity is a combination of scarcity and other appeal and is as follows :

Rarity 1 - Value over $20
Rarity 2 - $15 to $20
Rarity 3 - $10 to $15
Rarity 4 - less than $10

It should be remembered that these are one person's opinions only and by no means an absolute price guide.

View Picture

LIST

1. Hemingray 1 no CD number
F on dome PATENT/Dec 19 1871
B on dome 1
Color: aqua, green
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 1
This is the classic Hemingray. Not only is it old and scarce but it also has an uncommon shape. I have seen an unembossed version of this insulator which could also be Hemingray.

2. Hemingray 2 CD 132
F on dome PATENT/Dec 19 1871
B on dome 2
Color: green, light SCA
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2

3A. Hemingray 3 CD 133
F on dome PATENT/Dec 19 1871
B on dome 3
Color: Green
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2
This varies from #2 in that it is shorter, lighter (weight) and the dome is more rounded.

3B. Hemingray 3 similar to CD 133
F on skirt PATENT/Dec 19 1871
B on skirt 3
Color: green
New 3 part mold
Rarity 3
This appears to be a later version of #3A.

4A. Hemingray 4 similar to CD 124
F on dome PATENT/Dec 19 1871
B on dome 4
Color: aqua
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2

4B. Hemingray 4 CD 124
F on dome PAT Dec 19 1871
F on skirt 4/PATENT/May 2 1893
B on skirt HEMINGRAY/No 4 Color: aqua
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2
This is an interesting one as it represents a transition from old to new. The 1893 embossing is crooked, and it looks as though it and the drip points were added after the original molding.

4C. Hemingray 4 CD 124
F on skirt PATENT/MAY 2 1893
B on skirt HEMINGRAY/No 4
Color: aqua
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 4
This one completes the transition from old to new.

View Picture

4D. Hemingray similar to CD 124
F on dome PATENT/DEC 19 1871
B on dome 4
Color: yellow green
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2
This differs from #4A in that it has a longer skirt and different wire groove.

5A. Hemingray 5 CD 120
F on dome PAT DEC 19 1871
B on dome 5
Color: aqua
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2

5B. Hemingray 5 CD 120
F on skirt PATENT/DEC 19 1871
B on skirt 5
Color: aqua
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 3
This is probably a later version of #5A.

5C. Hemingray 5 CD 120
F on skirt PATENT/Dec 19 1871
B on skirt 5/PATENT May 2 1893
Color: aqua
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2
This is another transition piece with both dates.

6A. WU5A CD 125
F on skirt PATENT/DEC 19 1871
B on skirt W U/5/A
Color: yellow green
New 3 part mold
Rarity 3
The A is probably a lot number. The W U in all likelihood stands for Western Union.

6B. WU5 or WU5B similar to CD 125
F on skirt PATENT/DEC 19 1871/B
B on skirt W. U./5
Color: aqua
New 3 part mold
Rarity 4

This looks like an improved version of the W.U. 5A. It has a larger wire groove.

6c. WU No 5 similar to CD 125
F on skirt PATENT/May 2 1893
B on skirt HEMINGRAY/W.U. No 5
Color: aqua
New 3 part mold
Rarity 3
This is the same insulator as #6B except there are drip points on this one (not shown in drawing).

7. W E Mfg. no CD number
F on dome W. E. MFG. Co.
F on skirt PATENT/DEC 19 1871
B on dome W. U.
Color: various greens
Old 3 part mold
Rarity 2
Western Electric went by the name Western Electric Mfg. Co. at this time so this could well be what the W. E. stands for.

View Picture

8. A. U. similar to CD IZ5
F on dome PATENT/DEC 19 1871
F on skirt A. U.
Color: aqua Old 3 part mold
Rarity 1
A. U. stands for American Union. I know no more about this unit except that it is quite rare.

9. CD 134
F on skirt PATENT/DEC 19 1871
Color: light aqua
New 3 part mold
Rarity 4

10. CD 134
F on skirt PATENT/DEC 19 1871
B on skirt PATENT MAY 2 1893
Color: aqua
New 3 part mold
Rarity 2
Here is another transition insulator. The 1893 patent is off center and appears with the drip points to have been added later.

FINAL COMMENTS

This report has not attempted to answer all questions on early Hemingrays. As a matter of fact it quite probably raises more than it answers such as :

1. Are there Hemingray 6's and 7's? Tibbitts lists a Hemingray 8 with only the 1893 patent.

2. Were there WU 1's thru 5's?

3. Are there 2 part mold Hemingrays ?

4. What was the American Union (No. 8)?

I've attempted to tie together some of the known facts and also to propose a few new ideas. If it's generated interest in early Hemingrays, it has been well worth the effort.