Big Brownie

[deenodean]

Anyone know the approximate age of this? If it is as old as I was told it is then there is a story from where it came from.The word THOMAS is embossed on the top. It must weigh about 25 lbs. [attachment=photo 1.JPG] [attachment=photo 2.JPG] [attachment=photo 3.JPG]

 

[botlguy]

I do not believe we can put a definite age on these but they are definitely early 1900s.

 

[deenodean]

Thanks Jim. The owners story collaborates. He said it was used by Guglielmo Marconi when he attempted to send wireless messages from Cape Breton to overseas circa 1900. There is now National Museum in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia dedicated to his experiments. I will have to visit it this summer. Perhaps there are other insulators there that I can take pictures of and post .

 

[BillinMo]

Do you have dimensions for this? It might help to figure out exactly what M-number it is. Thomas was a large manufacturer in business for many years. I don't have a LOT of expertise with these, but the darker glaze, ear style and skirt shape suggest late teens to mid 1920s. A Thomas from the very early 1900s (before 1910) would typically have an orangey-tan (or rarely, gray) glaze, tall ears with a small groove. The early multipart skirts would flare out to almost vertical, what we call the "lilyshell" type - like this example here: http://www.insulators.info/pictures/?id=259458094

 

[BillinMo]

BTW - I'd be really curious to see what that museum has! Hope you get to go there and take some photos.

 

[deenodean]

Thanks for the info BillinMo. It is about a foot tall, you can gauge the size from #3 picture, the owner has it in his hands. That museum is only 30 minutes drive from me , I will make it a point to visit there soon and hopefully get some pictures to post.

 

[Robby Raccoon]

When I saw how big it actually was, my eyes opened wide. Also, I love your wall!

 

[MuddyMO]

This insulator is a big multipart! Probably weighs a ton!
Not to be Sir Buz Killington...
Looking at period taken photographs of the Breton location, this insulator was unlikely to be used there. Insulators used at the telegraph company site were more industrial and bushing types. DC electricity was divided through various electrical components, so the need for huge resistive insulators is reduced/eliminated. There are some telegraph insulators on poles, but no visible power insulators. The Breton Island location generated their own electricity (DC and AC), and this multipart Thomas is something used on high voltage AC power transmission (long distance). My guess, yours came from a hydroelectric dam line.