Updated photo of this fabulous gal from Vernon, CT whom I have known for many years. She is a truly wonderful friend, along with her parents whom I have known since the 1970s...initially through my monthly insulator column in Old Bottle Magazine (1974-1981). An earlier photo of her from about 2008 is here [id=240377646] FYI she and her parents collect some old stuff. Although you might think McLaughlin insulators would be their specialty, they aren't. However Kathleen *does* have a nice spread of emerald green McLaughlins in her lower Manhattan ranch where she still resides as a clothing designer and sometimes a model.

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Added note 07/08/11: Kathleen loves vintage architecture, especially Victorian-era homes (she grew up in one in Vernon, CT). In recent years she has photo-documented a great many older homes and buildings within NYC, where she presently lives. In her travels she has also taken many photographs of earlier line construction still in service in CT, NJ and within the NYC Metro vicinity.

Kathleen is an avid researcher and is responsible for many of old-time photos I have been adding to ICON within the last year. She truly has enjoyed sharing them, albeit requesting that credit not necessarily always be given to her as they have been forwarded to me. Now you know who is really behind the scenes of my contributions. This woman is highly intense and absolutely loves history. You will never, ever comprehend how extremely grateful I am to have her and her terrific and loving family in my life.

JOE

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Now that it is 07/09/11....today is her 38th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Kathleen! Added note: She has elected, for the time being and past, not to join ICON. For now. She really appreciates the many comments/compliments forwarded to her via me (Joe Maurath, Jr.)

Joe M

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Added Note: 09-11-11, 01:55 AM EST

My gal decided to stay the weekend with her parents in Vernon, CT, as she sometimes does. Her "working" home base is her condominium in Greenwich Village (NYC). Owing to her feeling of insecurity of being in the Big Apple this weekend, she is with me and her family. The skies were crystal-blue-clear yesterday (9-10), great for hunting insulators and taking pics while on her bike! Among our best finds were a bunch of green porcelain pintypes and several cobalt blue mud transpositions that look like they are of Thomas manufacture....still in use on open-wire Gamewell fire alarm systems in her home state of CT. No further details for now. However she *definitely* is gonna use her personal charm to see that these are swapped out, possibly using the "beer-wrench" if needed! In addition, both of us know where there is an off-site location where there are a lot of antiquated fire alarm stuff is stored, thanks to a city official who gave us the tip. That soon will be looked into. Same city as the green porcelain and blue mud tramps. Again, hopefully her charm and nice looks will yield some awesome treasure ;-) Joe and Kathleen

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Added note 08/15/12:

Thanks to her outstanding, ongoing and loving image research and sharing by this 10-star gal, we will be sharing dozens of unique vintage views of openwire telephone and telegraph lines that once existed here in the Northeast within the next couple weeks. Both of us have worked really hard on this project! And we will continue to do so, in making the ICON Vintage Photos a virtual "time machine"....or the best we can in achieving time travel ;-)

Joe and Kathleen

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