Doug MacGillvary

Porcelain Threadless Insulators
79 New Bolton Road
Manchester, CT 06040
860-649-0477 (phone & fax)
veryoldmud1@yahoo.com
E-mail Me
Collection Highlights

Doug MacGillvary
My interest in insulators began in 1970 and for a year or so I was a true collector. I combed the shops, flea markets and wherever else an insulator might show up, looking for additions to my collection. A friendship with an antique dealer steered me more toward the "buying and selling" and less of the collecting. For nearly twenty years I bought and sold collections and promoted shows here in New England. I hosted many shows for the Yankee Pole Cat Insulator Club. In 1978 and 1991 I co-hosted very successful regional NIA shows in East Windsor and Meriden, Connecticut. In 1986 I co-hosted an NIA National Show in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Sometime in 1991 I had obtained a U-980 "Horned Elliott," a product of the Bennington Potteries in Vermont. This particular insulator dates back to the early 1850's. The intent was to resell that insulator but for some reason I decided to keep it for a little while. Within a few months I had added a U-981 "Elliott Hat," another Bennington product, a U-970 "Confederate Egg" and a U-990, "Tea Pot." I would add pieces to my porcelain collection every chance that I had. It became apparent that most of the porcelain threadless were in the hands of collectors who didn`t necessarily want to part with them. It has taken nearly twelve years of twisting arms, making crazy trades and many times, spending fairly large sums of money to put together this almost complete set of porcelain threadless insulators (see photo, below). For five years, beginning in 1997, I displayed all or parts of my collection at NIA conventions and for five years in a row I received the Dr. Frederick M. Griffin Memorial Award (first place threadless).
For more information and photos of my porcelain threadless collection, click the photo below.

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Last Updated March 18, 2005