Lynchburg Insulators

A Collector's Guide

Site Menu

Lynchburg Glass
Site Contents
CD Styles
Insulator Features
Mysteries
Anomalies
Production Data
Historical Archive
Gayner
Birmingham

Support

Lynchburg CD 122 NO. 30 Long Distance New Style

CD 122, Telephone Toll, New Style

* The listed total comes from Lynchburg production records, and may not include pieces made in clear and clear-tinted colors (see Birmingham).

Colors: Lt, Aqua, Aqua, Blue Aqua, Ice Blue, Lt. Blue, Lt. Green, Green, Yellow Green, Clear, Clear w/Smoke or Gray Tint, Clear w/Green tint, Clear w/Amber Tint (Straw), Clear w/Sage Green Tint, Aqua w/Milk Swirls

The origin of the Lynchburg CD 122 remains somewhat of a mystery. Since most Lynchburg CD 122 molds show evidence of previous lettering blotted out, it is obvious that they are reused molds. Some suggest that they are reworked Gayner molds. However, Gayner never placed a CD 122 into production; at least none have been found. Yet, on most CD 122 molds there are five or six circle blot-outs, or a series of indistinct blot-outs, on the reverse above the style number. This would match the placement of the word GAYNER. Also on most molds there is a circle blot-out on the front slightly above and partially beneath the L logo. These blot-outs are evidence that Lynchburg reused molds and Gayner seems to be the most likely option.

Since the CD 121 was already becoming obsolete by the early 1920s, some have speculated that Gayner had already tooled molds for a CD 122 but had not yet put them into production when William Gayner brought the insulator part of Gayner Glass Works to Lynchburg. Lynchburg then finished the process by blotting out the Gayner lettering, added their own lettering and logo, and placed them into production. While this seems a logical conclusion, there is no evidence beyond the blotouts on Lynchburg CD122s.

Two molds (Mold 7 and Mold 12) do not show any blot-outs, which suggests that Lynchburg may have made at least two of the CD 122 molds in their own shops (Mold 7 is a unique mold). However, it is also possible that all of the molds were made by Gayner and that they had not finished adding the Gayner lettering. In this case, there would not be any blot-outs. But again, this is speculation without any confirming evidence.

Others suggest that the molds may be Brookfield molds even though Brookfield never produced a CD 122 either. However, similar blotouts occur on Brookfield CD 121 erasing original A.T.&T.CO. lettering. Some speculate that Brookfield had already tooled molds for a CD 122 lettered for A.T.&T.CO. when they went out of business in 1922. Lynchburg then acquired the Brookfield molds (as they had Brookfield CD 102, CD 145, CD 162, and CD 252) and re-lettered them. However, this scenario is unlikely. By the time CD 122 was coming into use as a new style toll or long distance phone insulator, A.T.&T. had already stopped using personalized insulators. No CD 122 from any manufacturer occurs with A.T.&T.CO. lettering.

So, the best guess is that Lynchburg CD 122s were made from modified Gayner molds, with the possibility that some molds were made by Lynchburg. But this remains an informed guess at this point

Lynchburg Production Records do not distinguish between CD 121 and CD 122, since both are listed as style NO. 30. In an undated illustrated catalog, probably from late 1923, a CD 121 is listed using a cut from a Hemingray catalog with the title "No. 30 Long Distance Insulator." In a Lynchburg price list marked "Effective January 5, 1924," it lists a style No. 30 as a "Long Distance New Style." It is possible that production of the two versions overlapped. However, it seems more likely that the first smaller runs of NO. 30 in early 1924 were CD 121 while the later larger runs in 1925 were the "New Style" CD 122 . This seems to be supported by the fact that CD 121, although not rare, is much scarcer than CD 122. The reality is that we do not know. In any case, there were 299,593 of the two styles produced in three production runs: the week ending March 1, 1924; between December 22, 1924 and January 17, 1925; between March 30 and May 9, 1925.

Arrows indicate line around the crown.

One unusual feature common to Lynchburg's CD 122 is a distinct line that encircles the crown about 10 mm above the center of the upper wire groove lip. On some pieces this forms a slight irregularity that can be seen and felt (see CD 122 Mold 7, photo right), while on others it is less noticeable. This is in addition to the line left from mating the crown pieces of the mold with the two lower mold halves, which circles the insulator in the middle of the upper wire groove. We do not know the purpose of this line. I would guess that the original crown top was modified in some way before Lynchburg's production of this style, most likely to bring the profile closer to Hemingray's No. 16.

There are 12 confirmed molds of CD 122. All lettering on the molds is hand engraved, with the exception of most mold numbers, which are die stamped. There is one mold reported without a mold number but I have not been able to confirm it. It may be a case of the number being too faint to identify. Lettering tends to be uniform and in the same style and most molds are uniform in size and shape. However, one mold (Mold 7) is different than the other molds; the crown is about 5-6mm shorter, the lettering is in a different style, and there is a sometimes indistinct L logo on the crown. It may represent a repaired version. At this time I do not know if this mold exists in a "normal" version as well.

CD 122s occur with both CDP and RDP. A very few pieces exist with smooth base (SB) and are considered rare (see photos at CD 122, Mold 9).

Additional Information

Chart of Production Records for CD 121 and CD 122

* This total may not include CD 122 clear and clear tinted pieces (see Birmingham ).

Related pages

CD 122:

Mold 1
Mold 2
Mold 3
Mold 4
Mold 5
Mold 6
Mold 7
Mold 8
Mold 9
Mold 10
Mold 11
Mold 12

Top of page