Most collectors are familiar with the May 2, 1893 patent for what we call "drip points." But they had another name in Ralph Hemingray's patent application. Do you know what the name was? Why did Hemingray move its plant from Covington, KY to Muncie, IN? What was the Hemingray's code word for the common #9 pony? How much extra did it cost, per thousand, to order Hemingray insulators in blue, red or amber glass? What color did Hemingray call its run-of-the-mill insulators? (It wasn't aqua or blue.)

Answers to these questions can be found in Clarice Gordon's labor of love, a nearly 500 page book about the Hemingray Glass Company. The book contains dozens upon dozens of photographs and illustrations, such as the advertisement above which dates from the early 1850's.

Her work looks at the family members who built the company, and covers the full history of the business. Just some of the topics include operations in Covington, operations in Muncie, factory locations, maps & photographs, insulator production, glass production, patent information, sales pages from catalogs, and advertisements. Still available from the author, Gordon's book is one of the best bargains in the hobby at just $22 postpaid. See her ad on page 56.

This advertisement is one of some three dozen reproduced in "The Hemingray Glass Company: A Most Colorful History". There are more than 350 photographs and illustrations in the book, along with an extensive history of the Hemingray family, patent information, and catalog pages listing prices for the company's popular insulator styles from the 1910 - 1915 era.