6th December, 2019
A quick question Riff Raffers. What do we have two of, we can do without one, the right is larger than the left, they have lobes and they act like bellows? If you said lungs your right on the money.
This remarkable sponge-like organ situated in the thoracic (chest) cavity functions closely with the myocardium (heart) to deliver oxygen to the body. The heart is a muscle which can be strengthened with aerobic conditioning and a chronic adaptation is its ability to function more efficiently at rest. The heart beats less often with more blood being squeezed out with each stronger contraction. The lung is not muscular and chronic training effects on oxygen uptake and lung ventilation are minimal. The skeletal muscles associated with breathing, the intercostals (situated between the ribs) and the diaphragm (dome shaped skeletal muscle between the thoracic and abdominal cavity) will both benefit from exercise. Perhaps the greatest improvement can be made by fully utilising the diaphragm. Breathing, an autonomic response regulated by the brain, can also be controlled with intention. It’s possible to isolate and engage the diaphragm with a technique called diaphragmatic breathing.
The importance of healthy lungs and the airway passages cannot be understated. Here in Australia we have a high proportion of asthmatics (especially in children) by world standards. One in nine Australians about 2.7 million suffer from asthma (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018). There are more than thirty recognised types of lung disease involving airway, lung tissue and lung circulation categories. In Australia COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is in the top five causes of death.
My respiratory health was compromised about ten years ago with repetitive bouts of walking pneumonia and a case of severe bronchitis. My lung function deteriorated quite significantly where I now have to use two puffers daily. I have never been a smoker, but my parents smoked during my formative years and the sporting club rooms I frequented were filled with tobacco smoke (as were the live music venues I ventured into before I was eighteen) these may have been a causal factor in it’s decline. Passive smoking (breathing in other people’s smoke) is considered more deleterious than active smoking because it is inhaled without a filter.
I have believed for some time my return to harmonica playing and performing has been beneficial to my respiratory health in particular my chug-a-lug style. What better doctor for the bellows than the most owned instrument in the world, it fits in your pocket and is the only instrument that requires you to both inspire (draw) and expire (blow). Recently I visited Seydel’s website and blow me down with a harmonica they have two harps specifically designed to improve lung health.
Dr. Dana Keller designed the Pulmonica, a spiralling low ‘G’ tuned harp of low resonating frequencies to recruit dormant lung tissue and loosen congestion in the airways. Dr. John Schaman, who had been employed in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine for twenty-nine years created the Schaman Medical Harmonica for chordal playing to work directly on lung volumes and the muscular structures associated with breathing. John had noted his own decrease in lung function and discovered that fifty percent of lung function declines between the ages of thirty and seventy. This was considered a normal ageing effect! As Professor Sumner Miller used to enquire, “Why is it so?”
This isn’t meant to be a review of the musical playing capabilities of both instruments as they are designed for improving impaired lung function for people of limited musical talent. They are expertly constructed of the finest hygienic materials by the oldest harmonica making company in the world, Seydel. The Pulmonica is styled on Seydel’s Session Steel and the Schaman on their 1847 model. Both have a unique layout of notes providing the opportunity to play more chords than on a typical diatonic harmonica. If you are so inclined high quality music can be created and all with the added benefit of improving your lung health. Having said all that, let me say this, if you are a professional player you probably have low tuned harps and can play chordal rhythmical patterns (you may even have a bass or chordal harp) in which case you could already be receiving similar benefits.
More empirical evidence is required, however with the results already reported and when combined with numerous positive anecdotal reviews would suggest that the Pulmonica and the Schaman harp can improve lung health and that they probably compliment each other in doing so. I can with authority guarantee that you’ll have fun trying. I used to sign off the radio show with a wee saying of yours truly and I believe it’s quite appropriate to use now, “May Your Life’s Breath Be Your Life’s Music.”
Cheers SD
PS: “Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug, make you want to holler hi-de-ho, chug-a-lug chug-a-lug!”
Here are the links for more detailed information on both harmonicas
It’s an Australian hop, the Kangaroo hop, but it’s also the German hop.
Pat would also send me a page from a 1908 Catalogue which had The Kangaroo mouth organ stamped Registered-Made In Germany and clearly designated as manufactured by Ands Koch, the same mouth organ pictured in Ray’s book. What what what? This had us all scratching our heads. Where to next? I sent an email off to Isabella Kraph a fine harmonica player, who years ago stumbled across Bohm and Rauner stamps and dies in Seydel’s storerooms. Isabella replied to my email on how this possibly could be and if she knew of a Koch/Thorens connection.
I contacted Thorens in hope their historical records had been maintained. Michael Garner for the company told me that, 
What’s that Skip? 
Where does this leave us? Confused to say the least. We revisited the trademark once more and with meticulous forensic examination by Pat it was discovered to be a manipulated Koch trademark. Just a headshot of the goat that usually stands on a rock. Why is it so? Well history reveals Germany was on the nose around the period of 1914-18. Having Made In Germany stamped on your product was not great for business, however Made In Switzerland on the other hand did-you know it makes sense.
Trossingen’s proximity to the Swiss border and by somehow meeting regulations would provide Koch with a unique marketing opportunity. They removed their own brand name from the covers and replaced it with Rigi (Mountain Range In Switzerland) and cropped their trademark logo to have just the head of the Chamois (Goat-Antelope family). I can see a goat now! So there you go, the mystery demystified. It is speculated little or no manufacturing was done in Switzerland, but just enough to qualify for a Made In Switzerland stamp. Koch’s clever branding of Rigi on the harmonica reinforced the perception this is a Swiss harp-not German! It has to be doesn’t it?
I could also include in this journey the Kangaroo Charmer sold by Albert’s as early as 1896 and The Kangaroo they sold in 1923, but what would that prove?
PS: FYI Hohner also had a Swiss made line called Helvetia seen here with the box artwork from an Alliance harp.
After WW2 the Chromorgan was made by Thorens for Seydel.
When I had thought I had finished my work here with the Swiss Connection I stumbled on this harmonica advertised in the Melbourne Weekly Times on the 23 September 1923 by Edments. Pat Missin confirms it is manufactured by Thorens. He also added Hans Rolz a Klingethal company made Brilliant harmonicas with a similar script and that they even had a Trademark that featured an anchor. There you go.
In 1909 in Australia Albert’s was selling a unique Boomerang mouth organ with a double cup set of bells attached to the rear of the instrument via an arch with a boomerang shaped bend at the apex. It was a series called the B.A.B-Boomerang Arch Bell models. Pictured is the 40 reeds Professional edition which sold for five shillings and sixpence-there was a mini (20 reeds) of similar structure and a mini double as well. Two other models the 2-sided and the 4-sided (sold for seventeen shillings and sixpence) had one set and two sets of bells respectively, however they were mounted on top. The five versions can be viewed in Ray Grieve’s fabulous books on the mouth organ in Australia (a third is awaiting a publisher). The bells of different pitches would be tuned to the key of the harp and with the use of a lever on either side could be struck by both forefingers in an accompanying rhythm while blowing the tune.
A similar bell structure emerged later on a harmonica made by A A Schmitt of Klingethal on their Lyra brand seen above. The University Chimes (German made-pictured below) sold by Sears Roebuck in America under the brand name of Beaver also had a similar double cup mounted bells, however this was attached on top.
Ken Leiboff provides a fine demonstration of playing a harmonica with bells on the information highway. See here 
PS: A wee bit of Album news. South Australian band Lazy Eye is set to release their sixth album Whiskey & Gin next month and they’re giving it away track by track. You can join the Whisky & Gin Rent Party by reserving a ticket 
While we’re on the topic of our feathered friends a quick update on Benoit’s fantastic album Blue Bird. His launch will be held at the Selby Folk Club on the 29th of November. The album cover is completed and I must say Lyn’s artwork is superb. Benoit has posted for want of a better word or cliche an interesting video clip of a tune from the album titled 
Just another quick one John Whiteman’s fabulous book on Harmonica Box Art is available for purchase here in Oz on 
Thought you may be interested in having a gander at the Mouth Organs sold by Albert & Son in Western Australia in 1925. No connection with J Albert & Son of Sydney. Do you have any of these? Maybe the short lived Baby Boomerangs? How short lived they were I’m not too sure as they were given away free with different items in 1934-a toy that fired a boomerang and a book titled 400 Ways To Get Rich were examples advertised in newspapers of the day. I have the more common Tiny. Never seen a Koala of the mouth harp kind-this would be a find. Interesting to see the Boomerang Grand sold with replacement reeds. I always wondered about the interchangeable parts branding. Hohner’s Blow With Ease has to be one of the worst monikers! Probably more appropriate for tissues. 
Mr Henry Bernard Albert proprietor of the Perth store was born in Wuerzburg, Bavaria in 1870 to a book selling family. As a young man he migrated to Victoria, Australia to seek his fortune mining gold. Not sure if he found any nuggets, but he found a bride (Eleanor de Fides) and they crossed the Nullarbor to settle in Western Australia. In 1908 he established a book selling and music store in Perth originally at the Central Arcade before moving to the premises in Murray street. Henry had one son (Norman) and three daughters (Mrs L E Pearce, Thelma & Melba).
The whole history of the Hohner chromatic is really weird. The 260 first appeared in Hohner catalogues and the music press around 1911. Then it vanished for more than a decade and finally pops up in catalogues around 1923, with the music trade publications describing it as a new instrument. Then a few years later still, the patent for it gets published. It’s all very odd.
Please send me your report / keep me up to date!!!
By the 1930s, it was also available in Solo Tuning. However, that was different to how a 10-hole Solo chromatic would be set up now. Hole 4 and upwards were tuned like the Regular Tuning. 1, 2 and 3 blow were tuned E, G and C, the draw notes tuned F, A and B, with the slide raising each by a semitone.
Cheers and Guinness frothies to all participants, in particular to Pat Missin (& wife) whose efforts went way beyond the call of duty, John Whiteman, Martin Haffner & Mark Weber. In finishing, how and when didn’t tell us what and where, but it was who and what that told us when and where. Ch 
Recently Doug Dawson contacted me about the article on the ‘Cobber’ tin. He kindly sent photos of other Australian harps from his extensive collection, including this box (no harp), ‘The Metropole’. With a little research and the assistance of Pat Missin on the possible identification of the maker I concluded more than likely it was a product of the Hotel Metropole in Sydney. The Hotel was advertised in 1929 as the largest and most modern in Australia.
With a peek inside the box the CHA logo and made in Saxony indicated to Pat that it was probably manufactured by C A Herold. Not a lot is known of C A Herold (Carl Anton) who operated from about 1919 to 1939.
The Hotel Metropole was built by the Australian Coffee Palace Company for £150,000 in 1890. The grand building fronted Young, Bent and Phillip streets. You were greeted at the foyer with amazing stained glass windows and mosaic tiled floors. Fitted with electric lighting and lavish furnishings there were 260 guest rooms, several dining rooms and probably a gift shop selling ‘The Metropole’ mouth organs. The roof top promenade had exquisite panoramic views of Sydney town and the heads. Prominent International visitors who registered at the hotel included Rudyard Kipling and Jack London. Sadly in 1969 the hotel was closed and demolished.
Belmar records in Altona have a fabulous new sessions release by Mon Shelford. Mon was discovered busking on Sydney road by a Belmar house musician. Here was my review. How about this for a first up effort? Mon Shelford’s debut album is hotter than a fire cracker. Her vocals resonate in every fibre of your being. A mix of well crafted originals and uniquely arranged classics. For you Riff Raffers a wee bit of harp by Rob Price on the melodic ‘Walking On Eggshells’. Out now at 
A comeback of sorts to radio last week with a once a month (second Tuesday) Huff ‘n’ Puff segment 8:00am-9:00am (AEST) on Peej’s The Imaginary Friends Show.
A new post on Soundcloud spotlighting the harp of the late Paul Langford Lever (next month’s feature article) fronting the progressive rock band 
Here we go again a track back (or is that a back track) to the Crackajack. Further evidence the manufacturer was F A Rauner. Just a spelling difference for the Straylian market, perhaps. Registered number 28285 appears in a magnificently presented PDF file entitled, ‘A Collection Of Early Box Art 1890-1940’ by John Whiteman. A coffee table book is in the making, but there won’t be attached foldaway legs for a coffee book that doubles as a coffee table (Kramer invention-Seinfeld episode). John is from San Diego California and is one of the biggest collectors in the world. He provides an invaluable online resource of his and other collector’s harmonicas. See here at 
Having observed the #28285 an email was shot to world renowned harp historian Pat Missin who responded with a page from a 1915 Rauner catalogue displaying their Cracker Jack models and blow me down, would you believe it, with registration #28285. Here’s Pat’s take on the matter at hand, 
New music out now! On 
Mat Black, an alternative country singer-songwriter from Melbourne town, has followed on from his excellent 2017 EP ‘One Man Ghost Town’ with a high quality single entitled ‘Diamond Mine’. T
Hey Barren Spinsters, you guys never fail to deliver! I’m blown away by your new single ‘Hey Ruth’, which has a nice return of the ‘Gob Iron’. Hey Punters gratify your Toby Jugs with a listen. Out Now on all good and bad streaming platforms. I look forward to the release of the long play.
Then Federal Attorney General Mr. J.G. Latham proclaimed that,
In the 1930’s with the proliferation of mouth organ bands Hohner once again attempted to land a foot hold in the Australian market. They would promote the ‘Auto Valve Harp’ as an Australian model even though it had been sold internationally since 1910. Ray Grieve, Australian Mouth Organ historian, had been informed of this by Kurt Jacob who was sent ‘Down Under’ as Hohner’s representative to promote their products. Ray stated that,
In 1938 there was a Hohner model only sold in Australia under the banner of ‘Auto Valve’-branded the ‘Auto Valve Vamper’, which could be purchased for three shillings at all good and bad music stores. It was a ten hole twenty reed diatonic model. The name is an oxymoron as the Auto Valve Harp is a Knittlinger instrument and the Vamper a Richter model. I’ll let Pat Missin, world authority on all things relating to the first instrument played in outer space take over, 
The term ‘Vamping’ and its origin is intriguing for the author. My idea of vamping was a chordal chugging arrangement. Could it/did it evolve from the word Vampire? There is sucking involved in playing! Again I’ll hand over to Pat Missin for his take on vamping, 
In my copy of the 1926 ‘Boomerang’ mouth organ instructional booklet, it outlines that when playing a chord accompaniment (vamp) you take the tongue off the three holes being blocked (to play the single note on the fourth hole) and then place the tongue back on and off again. 
In a follow up he provides further detail, 
The Auto Valve Vamper was a fair dinkum Aussie harp, but with the onset of the second world war (sorry I mentioned the war, but I think I may have got away with it) it was gone before it arrived. After the war Hohner would eventually establish itself in the Australian Mouth Organ market with their high quality Chromatics and also the ‘Echo Super Vamper’ (Hohner’s ‘Marine Band’ stamped differently for Australia and UK markets).
The first post war shipment in 1949 that reached the shores of ‘Terres Australis’ included a ten hole vamper mouth organ sold by J Madgwick & Co of Pitt street Sydney as the ‘Echo’. Interestingly Harry Landis’ music store in Elizabeth street Sydney of the same year advertised the twenty eight reed tremolo harp as the super-vamper. By 1952 the ten hole ‘Echo’ vamper transformed into the ‘Echo Super Vamper’ and quickly became a popular acquisition for those looking for a precision vamper. I had always wondered why the twelve hole model that appeared years later in an orange box wasn’t named the ‘Super Vamper’. One would have presumed the larger size would have been superior to the smaller. This model is identical to the Marine Band 364 which became popular after Sonny Boy Williamson II produced amazing sounds from the harp. Not sure why it was marketed this way, perhaps it was due to our predilection for the nomenclature (Vamper), which certainly had a resonance down under and sales would reflect their popularity. 
Pat Missin suggests,
1890’s-
TM=Trademarked. First named=harmonica maker followed by music house. Unless otherwise stated.
PM- I’d already written a little about M. Johs. Richter on my website. On the same day that he trademarked “Kookaburra”, he also registered the same “Coo-Ee”. I doubt that these are connected with the later models of the same names, as his involvement with harmonica making seems to have been quite brief. He was mostly known for stringed instruments. Carl Essbach registered the name “The Larrikin” in 1900, for a variety of things including harmonicas. This was presumably for the Australian market, but I don’t recall any harmonicas with this name. Also that year, W.H. Paling of Sydney in conjunction with Glaser of Berlin registered the name “The Bushman” specifically for harmonicas. Again, don’t recall hearing of those.
Hohner registered a bunch of Australian-flavoured TMs, including “Century Advance Australia” (1900), ” Federation Souvenir, Advance Australia”, “Geebung” and “Corroboree” (1901) and ” Young Australia” (1912). The latter seems to have been their best seller Down Under.
RG- Some notes on Pat’s brilliant research: There was a Bushman available in Australia in the 1920s and always sold alongside of the English Topnotcher. (see my “Boomerangs & Crackajacks” book P. 60). It was never advertised as an ‘Australian’ brand. Would seem that Hohner’s Geebung and Corroboree never went into production. I couldn’t find any mention in old Hohner catalogues. And if so Kurt would have definitely mentioned this to me. Very likely that Bauer and Krause made the Cobber. Couldn’t find any info on this at all from either Jackson or McDonald descendants. Would be interesting to know just how many of these actually went into production.
RG- Pat must be right regarding 1900 being the default date for the “Crackamonic”. It was marketed briefly from around 1938 – I had never seen one until the photo you sent. Most of the old Australian players were using diatonics and considered the Hohner as the superior chromatic anyway (Larry Adler had a lot to do with that).
Articles have already featured Crackajack & Cobber Mouth organs. Waiting in the wings W F Coxon’s Lyrebird, Hohner’s Auto Valve Vamper, Paling’s Topnotcher and Frank’s Boomerang.
5/3/2019- New addition ‘The Bugler’ sold by William John Deane and sons from 1902 to about 1909. Advertised as Deane’s patent and Sydney is stamped on the cover plate. Appears that it’s an Australian Mouth Organ although not an Aussie brand name, so to speak. Interesting to note that William Deane married Pauline Albert in 1896 (Jacques’ daughter and Frank’s sister). So maybe it’s a Seydel Mouth Organ because of the Albert’s/ Boomerang connection.
23/3/2019- New addition the P C Spouse ‘Champion Series’ on a F A Bohm ‘World’s Fame’ mouth organ for Mick Simmons of George Street, Haymarket Sydney. More information in Ray Grieve’s upcoming third book on the history of mouth organs in Australia. P C (Percival) Spouse was Australian Mouth Organ champion in 1925, 1927, 1928 and 1935. Mick Simmons also had a chromatic brand ‘The Federal Band’ stamped on the cover plate of a Johann Schunk ‘Chromatigrand’.
2/4/2019- I’m throwing in Musgroves’ Monarch mouth organs from Western Australia from 1925 or thereabouts. Not an Australian sounding name, but being part of the Commonwealth (Boomerang mouth organs were once advertised as the ‘Monarch Of Mouth Organs’) and also because Musgroves’ were sole distributors they’re in. More to follow.
Rozella’s came in a few different formats and I’ve included the Bess O’ Th’ Barn models sold by A P Sykes as they appear to have only been sold in Australia. The other addition is The Kangaroo, made in Switzerland mouth organ-circa 1920. An article on this will be out before the end of the year.
Recently I acquired somewhat fortuitously, a ‘Cobber’ harmonica tin. The top of this once colourful tin has a three dimensional graphic of the harmonica that should lie within. However the harp inside wasn’t a ‘Cobber’ and it’s name had been incorrectly identified by the seller (maybe a Dawg Blawg down the line). They advertised it as ‘harmonica with tin’ with the emphasis squarely placed on the harmonica. I believe the vendor had no knowledge of the container’s cultural significance as there was not a mention of the ‘Cobber’ brand name. The metal tin wasn’t in prestigious condition, but in any condition it was an important historical discovery. Then there was the question of restoration. Patina can be an endearing feature as it displays its age and heritage. To destroy the patina could decrease it’s value and could put off would be collectors. I put the question to a respectable restorer and an estimate of a ‘sympathetic’ restoration was quoted at between two hundred and two hundred and fifty dollars. The tin is an antique and I have never set eyes on another one. So for the time being, it will be displayed as is.
Four different models of ‘Cobber’ harmonicas were sold in Australia from 1912 to 1920 by jobbers (wholesalers), ‘Jackson & MacDonald’ of Sydney. Samuel Jackson and David MacDonald did their apprenticeship as employees of ‘Allan & Co’ in Melbourne, who had great success selling their own ‘Crackajack’ brand of harmonicas. Both gentleman were great friends and expert rifleman at the ‘Mosman Rifle Club’. Initially, ‘Jackson & MacDonald’ had the franchise for ‘Edison Phonographs’. Later they would find enormous success manufacturing their own brand of talking boxes (gramophones), the ‘Rexonola’. Their wooden cabinets later evolved into speaker boxes that would replace the sound horn. ‘The Gloucester Advocate’ on Friday 3rd May, 1929 reported where the timber for the cabinets was sourced: 
These days their ‘Cobber’ harmonicas are as rare as rocking horse poo. In a 2007 article entitled, ‘Hum Along’, business journalist James Cockington of ‘The Sydney Herald’ suggested that, 
Samuel Jackson was incredibly skilled at promoting the harmonica. A marketing skill he employed with some success was either publishing a weekly ‘Cobber’ limerick or by surreptitiously placing a headline with a ‘Cobber’ twist in Sydney’s, ‘The Sunday Sun’.
