Isinglass curtains zip into a boat's canopy. It’s the 1890’s in the Oklahoma Territory. Gordon McRae sits next to Shirley Jones bragging about the expensive carriage he is driving to the social. One feature he really likes is the “isinglass curtains you can roll right down in case there’s a change in the weather.” The Rodgers and Hammerstein lyrics describing the “Surrey with The Fringe on Top” imply that these isinglass curtains were “windows” that rolled up in good weather and down in stormy or cold weather. That is what isinglass curtains are, but the isinglass of the 1890’s couldn’t be rolled up and down. Definition Isinglass is a semitransparent material formed by cleaning and drying the air bladders of fish such as sturgeon and cod. The substance is used in clarifying wine and beer and making glues and cement. Isinglass is also a synonym for any transparent material that is used to bring sunlight indoors while providing protection from the wind, rain and cold.

History Mica is a mineral made from watery silicates of aluminum or potassium that crystallize into forms that can be cut into very thin, transparent sheets. The Romans were the first to use mica strips to cover window openings. Mica windows were the earliest form of windows in the United States. Because these thin sheets were transparent, they were called isinglass windows. Mica is also heat resistant, so sheets of mica were used to make isinglass curtains for lanterns and stoves. After the invention of electricity, isinglass was used to make lamp shades because it is also resistant to electricity. 's July 8, 2010 newsletter, there is an article about the history of celluoid and rayon. Celluloid is a transparent form of polyvinylchloride, more commonly referred to as vinyl. Products made from PVC began to replace metal, wood and glass in the 1920's because PVC was resistant to corrosion and chemicals and was flame-resistant as well. PVC could be as rigid as pipe but pliable as plastic wrap and was much lighter than metal or glass.

Plastic was also resistant to rot and mold. Model T's The Model T Ford of the 1920's was open on the sides with a detachable, canopy roof. The canopy had no windows, however, because using glass windows would make the car too heavy. If the glass broke, the flying shards also posed a threat, so the manufacturers began making celluloid windows they called isinglass curtains. These curtains could be taken off and stored under the seat of the car when the weather was nice. Isinglass Curtains Hard tops and safety glass windows replaced the canopy tops with isinglass curtains in the 1930’s. Today, isinglass curtains are the vinyl windows zipped into the canvas top used on a motorboat. These curtains can be rolled up and stored when the boat is in dry dock or when the weather is nice. They can be unrolled and zipped into place any time "there is a change in the weather." They hold tight against boat speeds up to 30 knots and a driving rain. WOTD – 30 May 2016 Wikipedia has an article on:

Pieces of isinglass used to make tempera paints An isinglass solution being added to a tank of wine to fine it – to improve its clarity and stability Apparently from obsolete Dutch huisenblas, from German Hausenblase, from Hausen ‎(“sturgeon of the Huso genus”) + Blase ‎(“bladder”). isinglass (usually uncountable, plural isinglasses)second hand curtains pershore French: ichtyocolle (fr) flundby curtains Galician: cola de peixe (gl) f, ictiocola (gl) fthe tortilla curtain book summary Greek: ιχθυόκολλα (el) f ‎(travis meeks black curtains

) Persian: کبد (fa) ‎() Polish: karuk (pl) m Russian: ры́бий клей m ‎() Spanish: cola de pescado f, colapez (es) f Vietnamese: thạchIn the minds of most mariners, Isinglass is very real. It’s the clear plastic window material in their boat's canvas enclosure. And they know that it’s expensive to replace when it becomes cloudy, charred or cracked. curtains earls colneBut what is it? curtains berlin tpkeThe dictionary is of little help: [Isinglass-1: a transparent, almost pure gelatin prepared from the air bladder of the sturgeon and certain other fish and used as an adhesive and a clarifying agent. 2: mica, especially when in thin transparent sheets.]hookless shower curtain 84 inches long

This material was commonly used in the old days as heat resistant windows in stove doors. So how did isinglass jump from fish guts to our boat’s windows? Clever marketing may be the answer. Isinglass [or Eisenglass] was the brand name for a product that has not been manufactured in 40 years. It’s a term who’s common usage has lingered in the maritime vocabulary for decades and who’s meaning has evolved from brand name to noun-as Jello is actually a brand of gelatin. There is much debate and speculation among boaters about what eisenglass [or isinglass] really is. Most experienced boaters think it only refers to the clear vinyl sheets such as Strataglass. Some think it's sheet vinyl and roll vinyl. Others think it’s also polycarbonate and lexan. With all these competing variations of a word that dosn't really exist, perhaps we boaters should demand to include our mysterious term in the dictionary and settle this once and for all. How about: Isinglass- A clear material commonly used for windows in marine enclosures.

So now the question is: What kind of eisenglass should I install on my boat? There are several different types of window materials on the market to suit our various needs: *Double polished roll vinyl. This is the stuff in use on about 80% of the boats. It's not quite as clear as sheet vinyl but is more flexible for rolling up.This is the same material but the manufacturing process is different. *Press polished sheet vinyl. Has more clarity than the above two. It's especially good if the panels stay up all season since it is stiffer and does not roll as tight. This is the stuff that the boater who knows it all will insist is eisenglass. *Sheet vinyl with a protective coating. Available as the brand Strataglass. All of the above window materials are made of the same thing-PVC. Strataglass has an additional scratch resistant coating.Will not roll up. This is by far the clearest product available and is mostly on large boats and yachts.Usually never on canvas.