Matt Weldon's photos

These brilliant peacock blue insulators in my opinion are the most beautiful insulator produced in North America. They were produced by the Hemingray Glass Company in Muncie, Indiana in the 1890's for the North American Telegraph Company (N.A.T.CO.). Most of these insulators came from the telegraph communication lines owned by the N.A.T.CO. from the states of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. One of their greatest origins was along the old Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Minneapolis. Don't expect to find any left on the poles, the last one was taken down in 1991. The patent for May 2, 1893 was issued to Ralph G. Hemingray and James C. Gill which provided for drip points (called "teats" at the time) which would draw moisture off the surface of the insulator. Hemingray's CD 151 style of insulator was the first to use the drip points for their insulators. Embossing (Crown) N.A.T.CO. (F-Skirt) H.G.CO./PATD MAY 2ND 1893 (R-Skirt) PETTICOAT Index # 030