What are these things?

oooh pretty...

They are called insulators and collectors lovingly refer to them as “jewels of the wires”. They were first invented to use on telegraph wires in the 1850’s.  As technology progressed they were used on all telephone and electric lines to “insulate” the wooden poles from the electricity traveling through the wires.  The pressed glass was non-conductive, cheap to manufacture and threaded onto wooden poles.  In the early 1900’s they cost between $0.38 and $1.00 each and could be ordered in different colors to distinguish different currents or different company’s lines on the same pole. 

Insulators in Action

 

There are tons of people out there who collect insulators and some rare colors or shapes can sell for $8000 to $15000! See more examples http://www.insulators.info/photos/

 

Here at Conant Metal & Light we think the dime-a-dozen clear and aqua versions make awesome lamps, pendants and wall sconces.  Not only are we finding a new use for vintage items, but we are paying homage to electricity’s history. Check out our prototypes and please tell us what you think.

Bringing back their ties to Electricity!

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The Last One…

Our own Chris Caswell's B/W Photo

What is this thing?

It is 101 years old, made of a variety of metals, and was part of the power system of a very large object………

Give up?  This is the walking beam on the paddle shaft of the steamboat Ticonderoga, made of cast iron and forged steel.  The walking beam transmits the power from the single double-acting steam cylinder to drive the crankshaft that turns the paddle wheels.  The Ti’s steam engine was made by W.A. Fletcher and Co., Hoboken, New Jersey in 1906 and numbered 193; the hull is steel and made by the T.S. Marvel Co.; the rest of the boat was constructed at Shelburne Shipyard in Shelburne, Vermont.

The walking beam steam engine was obsolete even as it was chosen for the Ticonderoga; it was selected for its simplicity, durability and dependability.  The Ti steamed from 1906 until 1953, and could probably still run today, if an engineer could be found to run it.  The engine must be started manually and then mechanically hooked up to run automatically.

The Ticonderoga has been fully restored over the years, and Conant Metal & Light is proud to have been part of that restoration; we refurbished the bronze ships lights on the Ti (more than one hundred!) and restored  many brass and bronze components, including the binnacle cover in the wheelhouse.

http://www.vermonter.com/shelburnemuseum.asp

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Green vs. Smart

I am so sick of the word GREEN. Can we shake things up and just say SMART? Every time you hear the word GREEN, mentally insert SMART.

Restored 50's style Ring Pendants

I was first introduced to these 1950’s ring style fixtures when we restored 6 of them for the University of Vermont Dairy Bar.  (Where Ben & Jerry first purchased their vanilla ice cream base, by the way.) These fixtures were REALLY green – rewired, energy efficient, and painted bright avocado.

Not long after the UVM  job was completed, another ring pendant re-appeared when Steve Conant brought one back from a road trip.  We painted it bright-glossy orange, rewired it and fitted it with a 23watt compact fluorescent lamp.  Only after the staff oohed and ahhed at the re-born fixture, did Steve admit he had purchased 100 of the iconic fixtures from an antiques dealer in Dorset VT… we can restore one for you in any color of the rainbow!

Stark-white Ring-pendants in a School

Originally, the ring pendants were used with 300watt mogul base light bulbs and they probably heated the classrooms and spaces they were intended to light—the ultimate in energy inefficiency!  But…the iconic style, perfect proportions and quality of light diffusion is delightful.  It is so important to keep these out of the landfill, it’s a great design! With a bit of 21st century retro-fitting, we can make them energy efficient.

Conant Metal & Light’s commitment to reuse, re-purpose and recycle is the reason that each one of these 100 original fixtures will one day be adopted by a loving family.

I know we all play a step in this process. I thank the unknown person who dutifully took each fixture down and saved it instead of chucking it. If you purchase a restored vintage fixture you complete yet another step. You give the fixture a new life; new metals are not mined from the earth; you are buying local and supporting your neighbors. When installed, you are saving precious energy.

It’s just smart.

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Hello world!

Yeah! We have officially started our Conant Metal & Light blog.  We hope the computer world will welcome us with open arms, let us know what you think!

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