Left: My recent acquisition Right: Echophone graphic from a 1953 Hohner catalogue. By happenstance I was able to add this beauty to my collection. I think part of my fascination with the Echophone is the link back to Sydney Dickens of Carlton, Melbourne who had an invention of the same name and type back in … Continue reading Tubular Organ
W H Paling & Co was founded by William Henry Paling, who was born in Rotterdam Holland in 1828. When he turned thirty, he headed to the 'Great Southland' disembarking in the Port of Sydney. His first enterprise (pictured right) consisted of not more than a tin shed in York Street, Wynyard. In 1883 he … Continue reading Topnotch Palings
Happy new month Riff Raffers. This months sketch is a cracker of South Australian Chromatic virtuoso Bruce Skurray - an article is currently in the drafting stage and it won’t be long before it hits the streets. Cheers
Picked up this harp and box for a starting bid of a fiver. Well, I thought I did. Three times he apologised and said it would be in the next post - never did see it in the flesh. An Australian Job! I knew they weren’t a perfect match, but I was still interested in … Continue reading The Italian Job
With the Australian Rules football season commencing, I thought it appropriate to fly this article from the grand old (flag) days of the great game. Who would have thought footballers and umpires singing from the same hymn page. I don’t reckon the Mordi Bloods or Frank Vergona ever did. From 1935 to 1940 a Melbourne … Continue reading Football Notes
Happy new month Riff Raffers. No April’s fool! More on Robbo’s Tootin’ here Robbo’s Lauder Melodies.
I had a sneak peak of the box (first time) for the unfortunately named Boss Cracker and managed to snap a photo before it disappeared (just as quick as it appeared) off the ether (internet). Interesting to see the claim, ‘The World’s Best Vamper’, wonder who judged that - F A Rauner? This mouth organ … Continue reading Sampson the Israelite (Ohhh ohh)
Melbourne, 1909 1909 was an eventful year for young newsboy Jack Church and his Crackajack mouth organ. He was providing news content in all the Melbourne papers he was selling; The Herald, The Punch and The Argus. It’s probably fair to say Jack had been dealt a pretty rough hand in life with little chance … Continue reading Jack’s Congregation
Pinch & Punch. Happy new month.
Shep’s La Traviata The Box top sticker for my model. Several years back I picked up this La Traviata mouth organ for a couple of bucks from The Amazing Mill Markets in Daylesford, Victoria. It was nothing fancy, but a model I wasn’t familiar with. I certainly had no plans to write anything about it … Continue reading The Dog Went Nuts!
Harmonica Riff Raff 