California Glass Insulator Company

     CALIFORNIA GLASS INSULATOR COMPANY

                  CALIFORNIA GLASS WORKS

             Long Beach, California (1912-1914)

This glass manufacturer operated in Long Beach, California from 1912 to 1914,  beginning under the name “California Glass Insulator Company” .  Electrical insulators and crown-top soda bottles were made in considerable quantities.  In January 1914, the firm was reorganized and the official name was changed slightly to “California Glass Works”.  Insulators were produced by CGW until July of 1914 when all production shut down for good, evidently as a result of a series of unfortunate events.

Nearly all of the insulators made at this factory were embossed  “CALIFORNIA”  across the lower skirt, with the exception of some of the CD 102 “pony” telephone style insulators that are lettered “C. G. I. CO.“.

Most of the insulators made by CGIC / CGW were distributed throughout the western states of the US.  Some were also shipped overseas.   About 2 dozen different styles of insulators have been discovered to date.  The most common types would probably be the CD 161, CD 162 and CD 166 “signals”.  Other styles relatively easy to find include the CD 121 toll, CD 152 “hoopskirt” (same style as the better-known “Hemingray No. 40”)  and the CD 145 “beehive” type for telegraph lines.    There are several more unusual and highly sought-after styles including the CD 260 “Roman Helmet” and the CD 178 “Santa Ana” type used on electric power lines.

A variety of glass colors are encountered, including a range of purple (amethyst) shades, burgundy, plum, sage green, gray, smoke, peach, yellow, aqua and clear.  Some insulators are found in a combination of colors, such as the “two-tone purple/yellow” CD 260 “Roman Helmet” style insulator.

Here is a video of researcher/collector Dwayne Anthony discussing the recent dig and updated research on California Glass Insulator Company and California Glass Works.  In recent years, Dwayne has uncovered more information that corrects previously published info on the ending date of production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sah0uKUfNHk

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There are many very slight color/tint variations found and California insulator collectors enjoy finding examples that don’t quite fall into an exact color slot, but fall somewhere in between the “accepted” color names that have been loosely assigned to them.