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Telegraph (Telephone) Pole Finials

Started by FABphones, April 20, 2021, 03:43:48 AM

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FABphones

History has always interested me, and being the reader that I am, I started to read up a bit on old Telegraph poles, which took me on to Finials. First being made from turned wood, these haven't weathered so well, but there are some beautiful later metal Finials which have fared better.

Looking 'up' more frequently at the telegraph poles in my location. Every wooden pole has the end turned to a point, no finial. Pole after pole the same. I had given up thinking any of these rural poles might have had Finials, or are certainly few and far between so hard to find   ....then yesterday I looked up and saw this.

Very plain but a Finial nonetheless, and hanging on to that pole by just one screw. The one pole I had formerly never looked up at. The first pole on my land right outside the house.

Sunglasses on.  8)
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HarrySmith

I has always thought those were put in place to deter birds from landing there.
Harry Smith
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TCI

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FABphones

Quote from: HarrySmith on April 20, 2021, 07:04:44 AM
I has always thought those were put in place to deter birds from landing there.

Possibly, to deter larger birds. Not sure why they would want to though. Ours are dedicated telephone lines. No zap up there.

Here the wild birds, particularly Swallows, line up happily on the lines alongside. Buzzards will contentedly sit on poles though.

Many reasons have been suggested as to why Finials were added; to make them more attractive, to use up surplus Aluminium after the war....  not sure of the accuracy of any of them. To my mind they may have been added to 'more important' poles, so they could be more easily located, and to help prevent water penetration into the end grain, so the pole lasts longer.

Lightening rods may also be a reason.

:)
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RB

Interesting.
I believe our poles are made from POST OAK trees, cut flat at the ends, and soaked in creosote to preserve them.
And you do NOT want  to touch a fresh planted one. yuk!!! and the smell... :(
Don't know if anyone ever thought of putting a topper on them?
If yours were not soaked in anything, I can see a topper on them.
Kinda looks like your poles were put in a pencil sharpener to round the ends. Then the caps added to deter water penetration.
Either way, both methods were effective. Most all of them are still up.
Not sure why some of your toppers got knocked off? hail, maybe???

FABphones

Quote from: RB on April 20, 2021, 09:32:02 AM
Not sure why some of your toppers got knocked off...

I haven't yet walked the whole length of our line but photo attached of the next pole along. This is the same as every other pole I've looked at when out and about, no Finial.

Beautiful clear blue sky again here today.  :) 8)
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Key2871

In the states I've seen pointed tops as in sloped two sides, and topped with a copper plate for lighting but never have I seen finials.

I understand that a pointed top discourages birds from perchiching, to deter birds for a potential electrocution.

Or excess droppings that can rot the top of a pole.
But it's interesting that finials are on poles in the UK.
KEN

FABphones

Due to decay many of the wooden Finials have been lost, this image (from the Internet) shows a nice turned wood Finial which apparently is still in situ (UK). The second image is a British copper Finial I bought as a display piece to sit alongside my phones. Using the brickwork for size comparison you can see it is quite substantial. This one is believed to date from the 1930's, the holes where the Finial would have been attached to the pole can clearly be seen.

:)
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Key2871

I wonder if the metal ones were more lighting rods more than not.
KEN

RB

Well, if there is a big copper wire going all the way down on one side, then yup.
If not...
I really like those in the last two pics!
I would have put one on the pole tops if I was the one who planted them.
They have a majestic kind of look. :)

Key2871

I would think there would be, or they would have a lot of service calls after a storm.
That strike has to go somewhere, any wire will do they don't care.
KEN

Babybearjs

Interesting.... I've never even heard of these... here in the US, we never had such things.... I guess the British really liked to dress things up....
John

david@london

These telegraph pole finials are a really nice feature and interesting to look out for if travelling in GB.
Will have to do a local survey like you're doing CJ, see if I can spot any. I think the turned wooden ones are 1930s?

Some finial/pole info from a quick internet lookabout....it is good to know that there is a Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society.

https://www.britishtelephones.com/overhead/poles.htm

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/943497

http://www.samhallas.co.uk/repository/documents/telegraph_pole.pdf

https://www.telegraphpoleappreciationsociety.org/finally-finials/

RB

Thanks for the research, David!
I learned a few things too. :)

FABphones

Thanks for adding those and for finding the Sam Hallas pdf, I hadn't read that one, and is the most detailed I've seen.  :)

Quote from: david@london on April 21, 2021, 09:43:01 AM
...I think the turned wooden ones are 1930s?

From what I have read so far, opinions differ. I've read Finials were added as early as the beginning of the 20c to 'pretty up the skyline'. Also that turned wooden Finials date from the 1930's, with the metal versions coming along in the late 1940's to 1950's. And that copper Finials were usually placed alongside railway tracks.

The photos below show what look like turned wooden Finials on the top of early telephone exchanges. These images date to around 1910, so I guess there may be truth in all of them; when might depend on where.

Finials usually came in three sizes: No1 (18x9 1/2) No2 (16x8 1/2) No3 (14x7 1/4), but this is also variable as my copper Finial is a little larger than the No2.

Third image below - now those are impressive Finials!


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FABphones

#14
Another three Finials arrived today. I have been looking for this particular version since last year and didn't expect to find three at the same time. These are quite large (possibly a No1 Finial). The box they came packed in was huge, only just fitting through the doorway.

Fabrication: Aluminium.
Approximate Size: H: 54cm x 23cm (21" x 9")
Approximate Date of Manufacture: 1950s

Second screenshot shows how they would have looked when mounted.
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
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Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
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