| The CD 178 insulators were, in part, a product of the California Glass Insulator Company located in Long Beach, Calif. The company is famous for making the CALIFORNIA line up of insulators in other shapes including the C.G.I.Co. CD 102s. I have given a little more information of that company on my C.G.I.Co. page. From Elton Gish's book on Porcelain Multi-Part Insulators I learned that the Santa Ana insulators were made for use on a power transmission line for the Mill Creek-Redlands Line in 1896. The name Santa Ana comes from the proximity of the lines location along the Santa Ana River Canyon. By the way, Santa Ana, California is the city of my birth, thus my special interest in this particular insulator. |
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The embossing and coloration of the CALIFORNIA / SANTA ANA 178s allows one to know their origin. There are also units embossed only SANTA ANA that are quite obviously CALIFORNIA products due to embossing style and coloration.
(This example, in a nice, medium SCA (Sun Colored Amethyst), has a definite lean that is somewhat characteristic of Santa Anas.) |
| However, there are some units that have coloration and embossing style that is quite different than any CALIFORNIA product I am aware of. These are embossed only SANTA ANA or have No Embossing at all. This leads me to believe that somewhere along the way another company, or several, made this style.
(This unit was probably made by the Novelty Glass Company in New Jersey.) |
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We know that HEMINGRAY made this style insulator as there are units with their name embossed and they carry the Drip Point patent date. They were probably the first. However, it is my thought that NOT ALL of the units without CALIFORNIA were made by HEMINGRAY because they don't appear to be HEMINGRAY colors or glass either. |
| It is said, with good documentation, that NOVELTY GLASS COMPANY and BROOKFIELD also made the CD 178 and perhaps others.
(This particular piece, my favorite, is not only an excellent color but, as seen in this picture, has a large graphite like swirl in the skirt. This one is Yellow-Green and possibly made by Novelty.) |
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I do not claim to be an expert on
these insulators, I have just chosen them as a specialty collection. I am always eager to expand my knowledge, so if anyone has any definitive information they would like to pass my way I will be very receptive.
I am also looking to add additional examples to the collection, in
particular an Olive Green one.
(The piece on the Left is Sage Green) |
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This one is a CALIFORNIA made piece and is SMOKE with as little SCA as I have found.
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Here again is a 178 Santa Ana that was probably made at NOVELTY Glass and is a medium green color with a lot of amber in it. |
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The piece on the LEFT is Green-Aqua with some amber. CENTER is a true Light Blue probably made by BROOKFIELD. On the RIGHT is another Medium green with amber.
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The purple on the LEFT was a gift from Frank Peters in 1968. The SCA leaner in the CENTER is out of the Bill Reid collection. The HEMINGRAY made piece is on the RIGHT.
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The two insulators on the LEFT & CENTER are Light Blue and look to me like BROOKFIELD colored glass. The one on the RIGHT is a Santa Ana Blot Out and a tealish aqua.
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The four pieces on the left are being displayed in a set of very unusual hangers. These hangers were found only in the Spokane, Washington area to the best of my knowledge. They didn't originally hold 178s but I believe that my Santa Anas look great in them. As can be seen more clearly in the picture on the right, these brackets are three (3) pieces with the top two pieces bolted together and the bottom, hooked piece screws into the pin threads. |  |
References:
Multipart Porcelain Insulators (Second Edition) by Elton Gish
Insulators; A History and Guide to North American Glass Pintype Insulators Volume I by John & Carol McDougald
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