Awards "Fiesta"

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", August 1999, page 8 (insert)

Saturday evening was no longer referred to as an awards banquet. In the desert southwest, they called it a "fiesta". Complete with beautiful and colorful decorations, Steve and Melanie greeted the dinner guests while festive mariachi music played in the background. Again, the Marks surprised the attendees by singing happy birthday to several guests and preparing a special "second" dessert for everyone on the occasion of John and my 33rd wedding anniversary. I told you early on in this report, that our hosts left nothing to chance -- planning everything to the nth degree.

Honored were those who had displays at the national show. Each received a beautiful display participation plaque. The photographs and descriptions of the displays follow:

Dr. Frederick L. Griffin Award for Best Use of Threadless
"The Southern Porcelain Company" 
The company established in 1856 produced insulators for the Confederate Telegraph Company. The artifacts on display are the only comprehensive collection of examples of ware produced and are found in no other archives or museums. 
Doug MacGillvary, Manchester, CT 
"It was special to have this year's award presented by the son of Frederick L. Griffin who relayed stories of his father's early collecting days during the presentation."

NIA Award for Color - "Screaming Color" 
"My favorite pieces are the CD 133.4 yellow-green amber swirled bullet, the CD 151 
in cobalt blue and the CD 126 "blobtop" in amber."
Dwayne Anthony, Highland, CA

NIA Award for Foreign
"Treasured Glass Insulators from Outside North America" 
"It is hard to pick just three favorites, but the English CD 630 embossed Bright's Insulator Reid 1858 is one-of-a-kind, and the CD 428 from Portugal in lavender milk glass and CD 154 Zicme from Colombia in cobalt are two of my favorite color choices."
Marilyn Albers, Houston, TX

NIA Award for General 
Dixie Jewels Insulator Club Award for Best Exhibit Using CDs 
(in memory of Jim Overstreet) 
Greater Chicago Insulator Club Award for Best Exhibit 
Using Power Insulators 
"Danger High Voltage" 
"Hauling over 80 power pieces was quite a chore and assembling the three sections took awhile. I believe that my favorite piece is the unique CD 244.5 Greeley. And I like the purple set of Cochran bells since I found those myself. Another special piece is the green CD 268 Crown."
Ron Yuhas, Helena, MT

"Danger High Voltage"

NIA Award for Porcelain 
Jack Tod Memorial Award 
"Rogue River Electric Company" 
"I probably like the examp1e of the U-955 best since it is only one of two known to exist.

And the top (only) which is second from the left is a sentimental favorite since I found that one myself.

The third piece I like is the two piece with the 303 marking."

Howard Banks, Merlin, OR

NIA Award for Specialty 
Triple Ridge Insulator Club Award for Best Exhibit 
Using Denver Glass 
"The Western Glass Manufacturing Company" 
"The display educates collectors on one of the early and important producers of glass insulators in the west. The company resulted as a reorganization in late-1900 of the Western Flint Glass Company. During its ten years of operation , WGM Co. produced the lion's share of the telephone insulators for both industry and long line communications in the Rocky Mountain states."
Tom Katonak, Corrales, NM

"Surrounded by historical information and other Western Glass 
Manufacturing Co. products are the five CD styles of telephone insulators."

NIA Award for Go-Withs - "Antique Jewels of the Wire"
"It's a lifetime of collecting and is the story of my life as a lineman. I probably cherish the most the exceptional example of a cobalt CD 123 EC&M, but the story behind the nearly flawless threadless Brookfield with its original tie wire is my favorite. I was foreman of an installation crew and saw that a young boy was watching our operations very closely. It took three days for him to get up enough courage to bring that insulator to me."
Carl Rusk, Robert Lee, TX

NIA Award for Threaded 
"Colorful Threaded"
 "If I were going to choose three of my favorite threaded color pieces, I would probably say the CD 145.6 in dark green, the CD 134.4 in yellow amber and the CD 133 in 7-up green."
Ross Baird, Fort Worth, TX

Bob & Phoebe Adams Showmanship Award
"Ground Under Repair"
"Resurrecting the wire, foam, mask and work clothes from the 1993 Denver national, Grampa returned in a clever golf course groundskeeper display. You duffers will surely stop at the next GROUND, UNDER REPAIR sign, hoping for ONE-in-the-hole and not a hole-in-one!"
Mike Bliss, Fort Collins, CO

Capital District Insulator Club Award for 
Best Exhibit Using Eastern Insulators 
"Boston Bottle Works" 
"Rare and extremely colorful, the history of the Boston Bottle Works is played out in a wonderful array of this early New England manufacturer."
Kevin Lawless, Schenectady, NY

Central Florida Insulator Collectors Club Award for 
Best First Time Display at a National 
"The Colorful Hemingray Signal Insulator"
"One can see why the Hemingray signal is so very popular as a specialty. 
The range of colors is incredible."
Roger Nagle, Peoria, AZ

NIA Milholland Educational Award
"Watching 'The insulator Channel', a computer slide show narrated and performed by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, collectors were able to see the wealth of educational material available online at the three major insulator web sites: www.insulators.com. www.cjow.com, and www.nia.org" 
Bill and Jill Meier, Carlisle, MA

Central/Southern Counties Insulator Club Award for
Best Exhibit Using Southern California Insulators 
"The Blue and the Purple"
"From the ultra rare cobalt threadless sleeve to the purple radio strain, every style in these two color families were well represented."
Jim Gruhl, Tucson, AZ

Nor-Cal Insulator Club Award for 
Best Exhibit Using Western Insulators 
"E.C.&M. Co. and California Electric Works"
 "Rarity and color as shown in this marvelous display of two early California manufacturers."
Mike Guthrie, Fresno, CA

"Tidal Wave"
"The yacht 'Hemingray Blue' broke the waves of color in this clever display of the many shapes and shades of Hemingray manufacture."
Jim Barton, Van Nuys, CA

"On the rim of the Grand Canyon" 
"The Santa Fe and Grand Canyon Railroad Company was incorporated on July 21,1897 to build a rail and telegraph line to the south rim of the canyon from Williams, Arizona. Though built and operated by the Postal Telegraph Company, the line used an unembossed insulator of the Western Union standard pattern which is still referred to for its namesake canyon. The display is intended to emphasize the similarities of color between the Grand Canyons and other Western Flint Glass Company insulators."
Mike Miller, Denver, CO

"Canadian Diamond Co. CD 102's"
"Our neighbors to the north produced some of the greatest variety of colors which are found primarily in the CD 102 pony design."
Mike Gay, Albuquerque, NM

"Insulator Shapes and Their Nicknames"
"For years we have had our favorite nicknames for various insulator shapes...Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Corkscrew, Teapot, Spaceman, Frog Eyes, Doorknob, Twin Pin, Slash top and Big Mouth... to name just a few. How many different ones can you name?"
Eloise and Butch Haltman, Cathedral City, CA

"The CD 106 Hemingray No.9 Story"
"Manufactured over a sixty year period from 1895 to 1955, the Hemingray No.9 expanded the rural telephone lines. Embossing styles and color families showed the range of variations."
John McDougald, St. Charles, IL

"CEECO-REN-CTC"
"Saving the best for the last! This most colorful display is neither glass nor porcelain. The insulators are made of PLASTIC! The displayer speculated that CEECO made black plastic replacement insulators for the telephone insulator as a specialty product to use in areas with high vandalism. Colored versions of these insulators were made as promotional items or salesman's samples. CEECO may have sold its facility in Melrose Park, IL, perhaps to a company called REN who also made insulators in this way. REN was bought by CTC who continued making black plastic insulators but did not make promotional colored plastic insulators."
Rick Soller, Gurnee, IL

The exhibits were excellent and it seems that each year there are more and more outstanding, quality entries. Should you have specific questions about any of the displays at Scottsdale, I encourage you to contact the individual exhibitor. The show hosts are also grateful for the judges who worked diligently to score each of the 20 competitive displays. They were: Al and Ginny Way, Bill and Jill Meier (disqualified from judging their own exhibit), Dale Huber, Ron Norton, Bob Stahr, Bob Berry, Keith Roloson and Bill Rohde who tabulated the judges' score sheets.

In addition to the awards presented to the winning displays by the National Insulator Association, clubs and individuals (as noted with photographs of the display), other honors were bestowed.

The JACK TOD MEMORIAL A WARD includes with the framed certificate a copy of Jack Tod's original book, Porcelain Insulator Guide Book, and an original autographed copy of his book, A History of the Electrical Porcelain Industry in the U.S. It is presented to the porcelain insulator display that embodies the high ideals of education, research, and presentation. This year's recipient was Howard Banks of Merlin, Oregon.

The STERLING FINCH MEMORIAL AWARD for dedication to the hobby of insulator collecting is presented annually by Kevin Lawless and Doug MacGillvary. They donated a hardbound copy of Insulators, A History and Guide to North American Glass Pintype Insulators as well as a copy of the 1999 Insulators Price Guide to the Scottsdale Civic Center Library in honor of the show hosts, Steve and Melanie Marks. 

The LON C. HOLY AWARD, a set of No. 2 Columbia commemorative insulators, donated by Larry and Mary Beth Veneziano, was presented to Paul Gee of Union City, Pennsylvania. Paul was attending his first national show and is one of a number of enthusiastic new collectors that his teacher, Lee Brewer, has been nurturing in the research of petticoats and pins! 

The second annual LEONARD L. LINSCOTT PIONEER AWARD was presented by his widow Jacque and five-year-old grandson Clay "You can call me Pardner in my cowboy hat and western shirt I got Mimi to buy me at Rawhide last night" Bledsoe. The recipients this year were Bill and Jill Meier of Carlisle, Massachusetts who have pioneered our hobby into cyberspace at www.insulators.com. 

The annual CROWN JEWELS OF THE WIRE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD voted on by the readers of the magazine was presented to John A. Buchholz for "Lehigh Days -- Memories of a Railroad Lineman 1922-1932 by John H. Buchholz" and to Gary Kline for "CD 162 H.G.CO. Embossing in Transition". A certificate and cash prize of $100 was awarded to both recipients. 

The Lone Star Insulator Club recognizes the research published in insulator magazines and at websites by presenting the N.R. WOODWARD LITERARY AWARD to the author of the best research article.

The nominations for this year's award were as follows:

Dan Howard, Portland, Oregon
"Radio Antenna Insulators used by the U.S. Military" 
Old Familiar Strains, October 1998

Gary Kline, Onalaska, Wisconsin 
"CD 162 H.G.Co. Embossing in Transition" 
Crown Jewels of the Wire, August/September 1998

Ed Sewell, Fall City, Washington 
"The General Electric Porcelain Company and the U-701"
Crown Jewels of the Wire, January 1998
"General Electric Part II U-744" 
Crown Jewels of the Wire, November 1998 
"Burke, Idaho" 
Crown Jewels of the Wire, December 1998

The winner of this year's award was Gary Kline of Onalaska, Wisconsin for "CD 162 H.G.Co. Embossing in Transition".

Gary Kline, Onalaska, Wisconsin, 
recipient of the N.R. Woodward Literary Award

To all of you who contribute to our hobby publications we owe our gratitude. You provide reading enjoyment each month for many readers.

The National Insulator Association presented an Outstanding Service Award as well as Lifetime Memberships for 1999. Kevin Lawless, president of the NIA, made the presentations:

Joe Beres (Broadview Heights, Ohio) as Membership Chairman for the National Insulator Association for the past seven years has done an outstanding job of bringing the information on the membership up-to-date in his well-managed computer file. His work has continued to promote membership growth to record numbers and he has also seen the current active rolls have representative membership in all 50 states. This is a first for the NIA. Joe also has had the responsibility of helping the admissions people on NIA day at the last seven national shows. His contributions have included helping me compile the annual National Insulator Association members and Crown Jewels of the Wire subscriber Directory published each fall. All of this would seem fairly simple, but Joe has had to juggle NIA responsibilities with monthly, long-term overseas assignments for his company. Thank goodness, there is now Email to keep Joe in contact with the NIA and the support of his wife, Jeanne, and parents to mail membership information in his absence. Meet the NIA charter member and recipient of the 1999 OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD:

Joe Beres, Broadview Heights, Ohio 
National Insulator Association Outstanding Service Award, 1999

Everyone in the hobby has probably met or purchased insulators from "Marshal" Dick Bowman sometime in the past 25 years. As a charter member, Dick and his wife, Evelyn, have been active as show hosts, show participants and dealers for many years. Ev joined the NIA several years later than her husband. Together they hosted the Rochester, New York national show in 1983. 

Both Dick and Ev promoted insulators within their local club, the Genesee Valley Bottle Collectors Association, with Ev serving as editor of Applied Seals, the award-winning newsletter of the GVBCA. They also held offices and hosted many shows in Rochester for their club. They are also members of CDIC and YPCIC.

Dick also served as Eastern Region Vice-President of the National Insulator Association from 1991 to 1995, filling one year of a vacated term followed by an elected three year office. 

Currently, they split their residence between Webster, New York and Clearwater, Florida in the winters. Their winter home has afforded the Bowmans an opportunity to extend their show participation in the south as well.

Meet the recipients of the 1999 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP:

Ev and Dick Bowman, Webster, New York 
National Insulator Association Lifetime Membership, 1999