Thames Glass Works
Insulator Found

Reporter: Robert Haley
Photograph courtesy of Crown Jewels of the Wire

The first whole example of a Thames Glass Works insulator has been found! Robert reports:

"The insulator was found at a yard sale in New London, Connecticut at a home less than a half mile from the original Thames Glass Works factory. The yard sale house was built in 1875. The insulator was brought up from a cement-floored cellar. The family doesn't know where the insulator came from. I paid $1.00 for it.

"The insulator is Black Glass, and embossed 'THAMES GLASS WORKS' on the front just above the wire ridge, and 'NEW LONDON, CT' on rear, also just above the wire ridge.

"I have lived in New London, Connecticut for approximately 20 years and have collected canning jars for about ten years. The history available on it is through the McDougald books (Volume I, pages 13-14) and American Glass by George and Helen McKearin."

Previously, only one example with just the crown of this insulator has existed, and been photographed. The insulator is black glass, and from the photograph, it looks very much like a CD 718. However, an exact CD determination has not been made.

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Written Tuesday, October 14, 1997; updated Saturday, October 18, 1997