The Porcelain Insulators of Italy
by Matt Grayson
Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", June 1979, page 29
The insulators of I.M.E.C. and Richard-Ginori are
similar in many respects to the insulators surveyed of Germany. Some styles are
identical, while others are unique to these firms. These two companies offer an
interesting contrast. While Richard-Ginori catalogs only the most modern of high
and low voltage insulators. including fog-types which correspond to American
designs, I.M.E.C. catalogs anything from telephone knobs to bushings, all in
various sizes and shapes. I.M.E.C. catalogs the most complete line of any
manufacturer surveyed and appears to be quite small in comparison with the
multinational Richard-Ginori.
Richard-Ginori, a multi-national company engaged
in all aspects of ceramic manufacture, has branches and shops all over the
world. Their shop on Fifth Avenue, in New York City, stocks fine, and expensive
porcelain dinnerware and decorative items. The last time I was in the area, I
checked their window but could not find any insulators. Apparently. we
collectors have not yet infiltrated the ranks of their designers. Their factory
is one of the most modern in Europe, employing the latest manufacturing
techniques and containing a fully equipped E.H.V. laboratory for advanced
research. One of their particular concerns is producing insulators for
contaminated environments. Their factory, located near the sea, and in the
vicinity of chemical and cement plants, makes an ideally polluted environment
for the tests they conduct on the factory roof with experimental insulators.
My
request for historical information went unanswered. They did state that their
insulators can be produced in either white or brown glaze, and the marking
generally employed is shown below. This varies somewhat from the marking I have
seen used on dinnerware, though both do show the company name. Some of their
production is identical to I.M.E.C. All are tabulated below.
I.M.E.C. provided
me with no other information than their catalog. It is chock full of every type
of electrical porcelain imaginable, in both regular and steatite, everything
from terminal blocks to sockets to suspensions and pintypes. All are shown in a
wide range of sizes and with minor variations. They appear to be a relatively
small company, and it is very possible that their cataloging exceeds their usual
production runs, merely showing anything that might be of interest to potential
customers. Their letterhead and logo are shown below. I do not know whether or
not the logo corresponds to any marking devices used.
The following pages show
the insulators manufactured by these two firms.
| 
