VINTAGE ELECTRIC POLE HEMIGRAY INSULATORS

These thick-glass insulators were used for telegraph and telephone utility lines in the United States from 1815 until the 1960’s, and their “heyday”use was from 1875 to 1930. The ones shown below were used in Southern California.

Based on the embossed information on the two insulators shown below, they were manufactured by the Hemigray Company, which started making insulators as early as the 1840s. The heyday of production was 1875 to 1930, but they eventually stopped making them in the 1960s. These insulators also have embossed numbers on them. The first number is a mold number, and the second number indicates the year they were manufactured. One of the insulators was made in 1940 and the other in 1942.

These insulators can be collector’s item (see the Internet), and the faintly colored ones (like the ones shown here) “go for”about $10 or so. The more vividly colored (e.g., aqua, green, purple) the insulators are, the more they are worth. The ones shown here are nearly colorless, and they are not worth that much; nevertheless, they are indicative of the past, and that is always interesting

Figure 1. 1940 insulator. Insulator is 4 inches tall, 3.75 inches diameter.

Figure 2. 1942 insulator with copper wire holder. Insular is the same size as the one illustrated above. 

KOI FISH

The name “koi” is an informal name for colored variants of domesticated carp fish kept for ornamental purposes. Typically these fish, which are cold-water, are kept in outdoor “koi ponds,” if it does not get too cold for them. These fish belong to genus Cyprinus, which is in the family Cyprinidae. Historically, koi were produced by artificial selection, primarily from black carp, which inhabit lakes, ponds, and rivers in Japan. Carps are very hardy fish and commonly used as a symbol of luck.

Carp fish comprise a large group of cold-water-fish species originally native to central Europe and Asia. There are about 100 varieties today. 

They are bottom feeders and can live for 100 to 200 years [note: fish scales are used to determine the age]. Their fossil record is Miocene to Recent (Wikipedia).

Two of examples of the numerous color variants of koi fish in a water-lily tank at a commercial nursery in northern Los Angeles County, southern Califoria. The orange/black/white individual is about 6 inches long.

More examples of color variants of koi fish (and also some water lilies) in the same small tank mentioned above.