RainbowRidersTradingPost.com
The Rainbow Riders Trading Post
for Insulator Collectors
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What are glass insulators and why would anyone collect them? |
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Find the answer plus some history, articles, lapel pins, and more. |
A Little History
Some insulators date back to 1844, with the inception of the telegraph. (They were used to hold wires off the ground.) They are real pieces of history that you can hold in your hand and put on a shelf. Some porcelain insulators are still being made (although most cities are putting most of the power and telephone lines underground without insulators), but production of glass insulators ceased in 1969.
Insulators have made it through wars (including the Civil War), being buried for years, or just being unnoticed for 100 years or more in a remote area. Many have survived the gunshots from cowboys of old and little boys of late; and many wooden insulators were not destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake and fire.
The early telegraph lines paralleled the transcontinental railroad, and insulators became an integral part of railroad safety.
Additional Information
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The site contains some glass insulators displays from shows, an article on The Aurora Borealis and the Telegraph, hat pins for sale, and more. |
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About Us
The Rainbow Riders' Trading Post was a monthly magazine (physical, not online) that was published for five years. It accompanied a wonderful hobby. Both are on hold for our family for now. Some of the past articles are planned to be added to the site when time allows.
Credit
The photograph of the green insulator was given to me by fellow collector Bill Meier of Insulators.info.
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