I've collected insulators for about 25 years now and it wasn't until exploring the Muncie plant site of Hemingray that I had gained a great appreciation for the other products made by insulator manufacturers or carry the names of those manufacturers. It's no secret that Hemingray remains at the heart of my insulator and go-with collecting, but through all the miles and miles of driving and all the walking in antique malls, shops and flea markets, I have discovered many bottles, jars, tableware, blown and pressed ware made by a variety of other insulator makers. Coupled with picking these items up myself, I've received items from friends in the hobby as well, thus helping to round out my go-with collecting experience.

Hemingray Glass Company grouping: Globe tobacco, Dogtooth and Window Band 
stand lamp, CD 145 H. G. Co. Petticoat, Pressed Octagon syrup, Queen City soda, 
1860 fruit jar, plain finger lamp and, White House vinegar jug.

H.G.Co. embossed beer bottle bottom.

Primarily searching for Hemingray products has led me to flipping over many different items to see who the manufacturer actually is. Many times I've looked at what I suspect might be a Hemingray, but in fact I've been surprised to find out otherwise -- sometimes pleasantly surprised. 

Because of similarities between Whitall Tatum and Hemingray for example, with respect to ice blue, amber and green bottles, I have found nearly 175 different bottles and other glass items for the collection of Whitall Tatum pieces simply because what I thought might be a Hemingray piece on a shelf, once I turned it over, found it to have a "WT in a triangle" instead.

Whitall Tatum used the "W. T. Co." identifier and "WT" in a triangle for marking most of their items, so that's an easy way to tell Whitall Tatum items. Considering that the items were made in a period that covers about 90 years or so, there's a lot out there waiting to be picked up. The range of styles, colors and types is great. Sizes I found go from a few ounces to 10 gallons!

Whitall Tatum Company grouping: Surrounding a five gallon demijohn in the 
back row are a variety of medicine and food product containers. A CD 122
 olive green Whitall Tatum insulator is at the left front.

Since my home state is Indiana, which is not terribly far from Canada at the Great Lakes, Dominion Glass Co. bottles are a frequent find. They tend to be colorful and varied in designs. I have found mostly wines, beers and other alcohol bottles, but also some Crown fruit jars. The marked ones have the same "D in a Diamond" that are on insulators. Colors I found include olive green, amber, clear and 7-up.

Another glass manufacturer whose products pop up on occasion is Samuel McKee and Company of Pittsburgh, PA. So far, I've located a few old beer bottles, wax sealer fruit jars and medicines. These items are a little tougher because they're all very old as compared to more contemporary companies since S. McKee Co. might have gone out of business at the turn-of-the-century.

Samuel McKee & Company items (left to right) include a medicine bottle 
for a pharmacy, beer bottle, a CD 731 threadless insulator, a wax sealer
 fruit jar and a proprietary medicine.

Two companies from the eastern U.S., whose items also show up in the Midwest sometimes, are Lynchburg and Gayner. To date I have gotten fruit jars, a 5 gallon water bottle and various bottles. A Gayner paperweight from a recent London, Ohio show, gives another angle to the Lynchburg/Gayner group.

On the left are five products from the Gayner Glass Works, including
 a paperweight advertising the five gallon water bottle in the middle 
of the grouping. At the right are a CD 164 Lynchburg and 
two Lynchburg fruit jars.

A non-glass favorite of mine, are the various coffee mugs and soup bowls from Victor Insulator Company. The cups are fairly common in white glaze, less common in beige glaze and scare in dark brown, mottled brown, blue and black. Some mugs have a painted design of green stripes with others having a baked on or underglaze decal of an ad or personalized design. Victor items I've found have the incuse "VICTOR" name on the bottom, ink stamped "VICTOR" of "V" in a square incuse on the bottom. Some also have "MADE IN U.S.A." on them.

Victor Company products include a handleless cup, coffee cups in
 blue, black, brown shades and also in white. They also made soup 
bowls and the two insulators pictured in front.

Pyrex and Corning Glass Works products are also common in this area, and I would imagine they are all over since Pyrex is an ongoing concern. My favorite in the collection is a Pyrex lightning arrestor. A Corning "penguin" aerial spacer, is also a favorite. I could pick up all the Pyrex and Corning bakeware I see, but the ones in a my cupboard will do!

A variety of Pyrex and Corning Glass company items shown are a 
CD 326 high voltage carnival insulator, a lightning arrestor, 
a "penguin" aerial spacer, lab bottle, CD 235 and a battery jar.

At a large antique mall several years ago, I was searching for Hemingray-made water bottles, but instead came across a large bottle sitting on an oak table. I could see that it was unusual because of its big screw cap. The first thing I did was turn it over to see if it had a marking, but the markings were on the neck and a yellow green stopper in the top. The neck has the date of "Febr'y 27,1877." and the stopper is embossed: "Sam'l Oakman Boston". At first, I didn't purchase the light aqua eleven gallon beauty because'! wasn't quite sure, but after a couple of phone calls, I called the mall up and reserved it. 

Samuel Oakman eleven gallon carboy in 
light aqua with a CD 728.7 and a CD 259. 

Above is a great yellow green insert 
stopper reads: Sam'I Oakman - Boston.

Two days later I drove the 90 miles again and picked it up. A look in the first volume of the McDougald's History and Guide to North American Glass Pintype Insulators revealed that patent date as one of the Oakman patents and even shows old Oakman ads picturing the very same type bottle. Thank goodness I found out the information on that carboy.

E.S.B. Co. battery rests and a two gallon storage bottle.

Another go-with I'll mention has no known manufacturer to give credit to, but perhaps it the same one who made the battery rests. To date I have found three 2-gallon bottles embossed "E.S.B.Co. 2 gal. and 3 gal.". They both are light aqua and have a cork stoppered top and a cork stoppered opening coming out the side at the heel. No other markings are on the bottles. Could they have been made by Whitall Tatum or Gayner? I called a good friend, Bob Stahr, and asked him about the first E.S.B.Co. bottle I saw and he jokingly said it could stand for "Embalming Supply of Boston". I respectfully disagreed and got my first one. I'm sure now that those two are some kind of storage or transfer bottles.

One foreign company's products I come across quite frequently is Crisa of Mexico. I have several 5 gallon water bottles and a barrel-shaped jar all embossed with Crisa's name and insignia.

Crisa products include a five gallon water bottle,
 a CD 107 and a barrel-shaped jar.

Crisa-embossed five gallon bottle bottom.

Within the 50 or so battery jars in the collection, my most notable one is a L.G. Tillotson jar probably made by Brookfield. It took a double take at the antique shop and $35 to get it, but its a great addition to the jar collection. Other battery jar favorites are three known Hemingrays, Whitall Tatum, Pettingell Andrews and Western Electric. Some other names on battery jars include: Gonda, LeClanche, Law, Delco, Corning and many no-names.

L.G. Tillotson, Pettingell-Andrews, H.G.Co., Western Electric 
and Whitall Tatum battery jars.

There are various other names on products I found on my travels and received from friends. An Agee fruit jar, Western Flint Glass Co flasks, a Kimble glass towel bar and McLaughlin bottles. Kerr Glass Co. items are another fairly common find, while Folembray fruit jars are a semi-scarce item to locate in shops and malls.

McLaughlin items include a five gallon water bottle, a one gallon
mineral water bottle, a paneled crown top bottle and a CD 164 insulator.

A W.G.M. Co. CD 145 beehive insulator and two flasks 
made by Western Glass Manufacturing Company.

Agee-embossed fruit jar and CD 422 insulator
are products from Australia.

Soda bottles and fruit jars and a cobalt blob-filled CD 155 insulator
 were made by Kerr Glass Company.

While my focus on go-withs in my antiquing is on Hemingray made items, I can't turn my back on all the varieties of things made by or just carry the names of insulator manufacturers. Go-withs mirror the way I collect insulators -- with Hemingray as the main company, but other company's insulators grace my shelves as well. When you go out antiquing or patronize insulator and bottle shows, keep an eye out for markings on glass and porcelain objects. They might turn out to carry an identification of an insulator maker. Also look for paper and novelty items that could carry an insulator company name. An insulator collection can really be enhanced by adding the other items made by the same companies. Expand your collecting horizon!