Hemingray, Whitall Tatum, & Armstrong Antique Glass Insulator Collection – 7 Pcs

For Sale by Auction in
Grove City, Ohio, US

Description A premier historical assembly of seven antique American telegraph and telephone glass insulators, showcasing top industrial glass producers from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. The collection exhibits a beautiful range of natural antique glass colorations, spanning light aqua, pale green, clear, and distinct sage-olive tones. Every specimen features heavy embossed maker credentials and…

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Location
Grove City, Ohio, United States (US)

Item description:

Description
A premier historical assembly of seven antique American telegraph and telephone glass insulators, showcasing top industrial glass producers from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. The collection exhibits a beautiful range of natural antique glass colorations, spanning light aqua, pale green, clear, and distinct sage-olive tones.
Every specimen features heavy embossed maker credentials and specific mold codes along its lower skirt base. The lot includes four pieces from the iconic Hemingray Glass Company, highlighted by a Hemingray No. 9 (O – 4) in a crisp light aqua hue and a matching trio of clear Hemingray No. 45 units, one explicitly featuring the embossed factory date code suffix "4-5". The collection is completed by two sage-toned Whitall Tatum No. 1 & 10 insulators and a single Armstrong No. DP 1 dual-petticoat unit.
Lot Contents & Lineage
Hemingray No. 45 (3): Clear glass utility style; embossed "HEMINGRAY-45" with localized production mold suffixes like "4-5".
Hemingray No. 9 (1): Light aqua glass; lower skirt embossed "HEMINGRAY No 9" and "O – 4".
Whitall Tatum No. 1 & 10 (2): Pale sage/olive green glass; embossed "WHITALL TATUM / No 1 / MADE IN U.S.A.".
Armstrong No. DP 1 (1): Light green glass; dual-petticoat profile embossed "ARMSTRONG'S / DP 1".
Dimensions
Average Height: Approximately 4.0 inches (10.2 cm) each
Average Base Diameter: Approximately 3.75 inches (9.5 cm) each
Condition Report
True Glass Structural Integrity: All seven insulators are structurally sound, heavy, and display excellent transparency. There are no major structural body fractures, deep impact stress cracks, or post-production breaks running through the core glass structures or internal threaded pin holes.
True Rim & Wire Groove Inspection: The upper glass domes, lateral wire tie grooves, and inner petticoat lineages are well-preserved. A close-up evaluation reveals standard minor flea bites and small superficial chips along the sharpest edges of the outer base skirts and lower wire tracks, which is highly typical for authentic line-used telegraph glass.
True Production Artifacts: The glass matrices feature gorgeous factory cooling lines, internal bubbles, and minor shear marks original to early industrial manufacturing. The clear pieces show very mild, uniform surface cloudiness from long-term historical exposure.