Gray & Hemingray Insulators (ICON)
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Reference Information: Gray & Hemingray ad
Brent Burger commented on Fri, 19 Dec 2008
Note at the bottom of the advertisement it says "telegraph glasses and lightning rod insulators"
What exactly is a "telegraph glass" ?
If this ad dates to 1853-54, what kind of "telegraph glasses and lightning rod insulators" are we talking about here ?
David Whitten commented on Sat, 20 Dec 2008
I have also wondered if the reference to "telegraph glasses" alluded to the Wade style. After all, the Wades are quite similar in shape to a typical tumbler or heavy "drinking glass". Although the resemblance is so obvious that it might cause some collectors to think "no, that is just TOO obvious, it's probably referring to another style of the period."
However, I do have one slight bone of contention concerning your musing on the possibility of the CD 731s being referred to in the sentence " here and at Pittsburgh; which place is entirely supplied from this point". I was under the impression that the CD 731 ('Compromise' style) was not introduced until about 1865......this is 14 years after the Charles Cist book was published (1851) . Does the CD 731 date from a lot earlier than I was thinking?
Rick Jones commented on Sat, 20 Dec 2008
Brent asked what kind of 'telegraph glasses' the 1853-54 ad in the Ohio Business Journal ad by Hemingray could that ad have been referring to? Good question.
Glenn, Bob Stahr, Bill, other Hemingray specialists/historians---this would have been late enough for the production of eggs and hats 1850-1860, right? Why wouldn't Hemingray have been producing those in Cincinnati at that time? Or do we have some circumstantial evidence that they were?
It would seem to me that in their years at Covington from 1852-1890, wouldn't they have been producing 732.2 Patent 1871s or other threadless in the earlier years? If so, could they have also produced 731s from about 1864-1870, given the popularity and widespread use of that style?
Finally, what identifying factors of early Hemingray glass production could I look for in my 731s, if any?
Hope I haven't asked too many questions.
Lee Southern commented on Sat, 20 Dec 2008
You can view the full reference here:
Bob Stahr commented on Sat, 20 Dec 2008
There is very little known of Hemingray's pressed glass business between 1848 and about 1860. There is considerably more known of their blown glassware of this time, so that is the comparison that Glenn and I have been making. Hemingray was a large producer of soda bottles and fruit jars at the time and I own a few items dating back that far, so have some on hand examples to look at.
I showed Glenn a CD 723.3 smooth Wade in 2004 that I purchased in that early Hemingray blue colored glass because I believed that the color was indicative of Hemingray production. I see Glenn mentioned that recently and he too believes them to be of Hemingray manufacture. If our gut feelings are right, I suppose other threadless insulators should be compared to these Wades to see if there are any other similar features to pressing/molding techniques of the glass.
I'll admit, I am not much of a study of early insulators (threadless 1848-1860), one reason is there is not much documentation in trade journals or newspapers. The journal, The Telegrapher didn't start printing until 1864. Same goes for for some of the other telegprahic journals. What kinds of insulators were in use from 1848 to 1860?
Otherwise, yes, the 732.2's are likely Hemingray (at least the un-embossed Floyd's, and the 1871 patent pieces), but they are much later (1867-1872 era).
Brent Burger commented on Sat, 20 Dec 2008
Actually, I was trying to look outside the scope of insulators to something like vacuum tubes or some other type of telegraph related equipment used in booster stations or telegraph offices. I could be WAY off on years or development of such appurtenances. I am a total dunce on this subject, but do not want to assume glass = pole application insulator. Gonna have to rely on those more knowing for this one.
Peter Beshara commented on Sun, 21 Dec 2008
If one reads the text from this link
One will find , the referance to telegraph glasses,
Reading the text in the other link
One finds the term lamp glasses. We call the " lamp glasses " a chimney .
I would take from these two expresions that the term glasses is a period expresion for items for that use , "telegraph" or " lamp" .
Lee Southern commented on Sun, 21 Dec 2008
I have seen the term "telegraph glasses" used synonymously for "telegraph glass insulators", but I could imagine it also being used for "telegraph glass wares", which I have seen used in a more encompassing sense to include items such as battery jars and battery rests, etc.
Peter Beshara commented on Sun, 21 Dec 2008
For those that have McDougalds Volume 1 On page 8 ( first paragraph) there is a referance to "egg glasses" in the context of the threadless eggs On page 66 in a quote from Cist 's report the mention of " lamp glasses " ( oil lamp chimney) and on page 67 there is the quote of " telegraph glasses." This shows clearly that no type of insulator in particular was meant. That , even lamp chiminies, were called " glasses " , so it is just the term for the product in the line in question.
Darin Cochran commented on Sun, 21 Dec 2008
Rick Jones was asking about 731s made by Hemingray, If I remember correctly there were cd 731s excavated from the site before the Hotel was built. These artifacts now reside in a musuem basement near Covington.
Bob Stahr commented on Sun, 21 Dec 2008
It was one 732.2 that was uncovered. I know of no 731's that were found.
Rick Jones commented on Mon, 22 Dec 2008
Okay, Digger Darin had me going for a minute. Thanks for clarifying, Bob. No 731s turned up at the Covington site that we know about.
Darin, as an aside, the first time I walked the fields of the Muncie dump was in 1973, I think. I was with a friend and he cut his foot on the surface glass right through a sneaker. Our wives had on sandals and had to stay a distance away. I was a pretty new collector at the time, so I didn't really know what I was looking for or what to expect that first trip. We took home several whole insulators laying on top of the ground. Later trips were more productive. My non-collector, math teacher friend never went back, but to this day talks about the adventure.
