770 notes (8 feet long) demonstrated in Michigan, Detroit 1932 Left - 320 notes (41 inches long) designed for duets on display Michigan Illinois 1938 and Right - Ah ha! That’s what’s going on. A Blue Bird (F A Bohm) built for two. 1938 - Two more sharing a Blue Bird (F A Bohm) The … Continue reading The Big One (Pictorial #1)
World Chromatic authority (and collector) Mark Weber has managed to obtain the Boomerang Grand Chromorgan (12 hole - 3 Octaves) produced by Swiss manufacturer Thorens. You may remember that I unearthed the ten hole little brother a few months ago - see Suisse Piece. If you haven’t checked out Mark’s blog, then you should do … Continue reading Big Brother
Very interesting (but not very practical) mouth organs. Koch eight hole mouth organs in the shape of animals (1927 Catalogue) All quiet on the home front with no new additions (vintage ‘Oz’ harmonicas) to the fish tank. So, in keeping with the theme of the cartoons that follow, I opted to include a few obscure … Continue reading Walking On Air
Latest edition to collection with gifted programs of the great man. I had no intention of purchasing a harmonica of this kind, but for thirty five Aussie bucks (fair bit of harp for that price) I just had to as there’s been nothing in my wheelhouse for sometime now. I had been gifted Larry’s programs … Continue reading Harpo (Moviestar)
Mouth Organ Ephemera Left: Albert’s Boomerang Mouth Organ Tricks & Effects Booklet (1928) Right: One of the tricks inside. Picked up this booklet for a song the other day. Playing the Blues was a bit of a novelty trick back in 1928. Why is it so? Henry Whitter was playing cross harp blues back in … Continue reading Choke the Tone
Here It Is! Doug Dawson, Canadian super collector, has done it again! He has discovered the Jazz Master Chromatic - it exists! There folks in all of its glory - in a lovely blue container. Where would you think Doug picked up this late 1930’s rare Aussie classic? You’d be wrong, ‘twas Sweden. For more … Continue reading Jazzamatazz
Pretty pleased to have stumbled over this beauty - a pretty slick Suisse Boomerang Chromorgan. This model and the Grand Chromorgan (there was no De Luxe model) were briefly produced in Switzerland after WWII. Albert’s Boomerang mouth organs were manufactured by Seydel, who were under occupation by communist Russia after WWII - so briefly Albert’s … Continue reading Suisse Piece
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
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
Harmonica Riff Raff 