NEW Book: Collector's Guide for Porcelain Insulators (Unipart Types)

By Elton Gish; posted February 4, 2016
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Nearly 5 years in the making. The FULL COLOR book is 8-1/2 x 11 spiral bound with 278 glossy pages with nearly 1500 photographs most of which are in color. A full 20% of the U-numbers that were mostly trimmer variants have been deleted and styles combined to hopefully make it easier for collectors. The U-Chart reduction and color photo illustrations took more than 8 months of intense work.

All 1012 unipart styles are shown with color reference photos of actual specimens. Each style has been assigned a Unipart Number (U-Number) and part of the photographed insulator is cut away to show the pinhole, petticoat(s), glaze-weld, and other features.

In addition to the U-Chart of 1012 pin-type styles, there is an extensive history of the development of porcelain insulators including photographs showing how they are made. There are nearly 500 historic and other photographs (most in color) showing key and special insulator styles and to compliment the very detailed history of the more than 54 companies that manufactured pin-type porcelain insulators.

There is an appendix detailing all the known Fred Locke markings. Another appendix was written by Michael Spadafora summarizing his decades of researching and hunting Fred Locke insulators with characteristics to aid in dating your Fred Locke insulators and learn more about how the "Father of Porcelain Insulators" evolved insulators manufacturing techniques and styles to produce high voltage insulators for the rapidly growing electrical industry from 1894-1904.

This is a "must have" reference book for anyone with any interest in porcelain insulators were it be simply cataloging your collection or spending time learning about the industry! You will be surprised at how much different it is compared to the old 1988 Tod guide book, which did not have a single photo. New companies have been added to the company history chapter with expanded and corrected histories of each that includes old photos, too. At least 3 times more information than the out-dated Tod book.

Price is $49 plus $5 shipping (Canada is $24 shipping). Send personal check or money order (5415 Lexington Cir, Lumberton, TX 77657). Or use PayPal "no fee option" to friends and family to my email address (Elton@r-infinity.com). (The Guide Book does not contain values)

P.S. The revised Value Guide is scheduled to be ready by the summer.

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