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
I viewed a repeat episode of American Pickers awhile ago where they stumbled across a Cracker Jack vending machine. It set my brain cogs into motion (backwards) revisiting our famous Crackajack mouth organs sold by Allan’s of Melbourne. The cogs clunked to a stop on both why the name Crackajack and why advertising featuring the … Continue reading Nautical Jack
Visitors to the fine city of Perth will be aware of a striking hand standing statue in Hay Street of a gentleman by the name of Percy Button - often misspelled by pluralising his surname. A prominent street entertainer in his day, he performed dynamic acrobatics and blew the odd tune on a mouth organ … Continue reading Busker Buttons
Besses o' th' Barn Band's visits to Australia, by the sound of it, had many similarities with the wild scenes experienced when the Beatles landed Down Under in the sixties. It wasn't just in the popularity stakes either, but also in the proliferation of punters taking up playing a brass instrument (or mouth organ - … Continue reading Besses & Beatles
(1898). [Tom Fatts versus Hock Keys, at the Golden Gate Club, Sydney, November 29th, 1898 - http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-148541703%5D Late nineteenth century/early twentieth mouth organ bouts were held between pugilistic fights. Australia’s first mouth organ champion was Walter Omond in 1899, blowing on an Albert’s Boomerang at the Golden Gate Club in Sydney. He only had to … Continue reading Harpin Ringside
Introduction I had intentions of creating an e-book (even designed a cover - pictured) as a quick reference for Australian named (and/or prominent in the market place) mouth organs: Crackajacks, Cobbers, Boomerangs and the like. I’ve had second thoughts - so what I have produced here is what would have been included without any accompanying … Continue reading Aussie ’Arps – Pocket Guide
An early Christmas present. You wouldn’t believe how much I paid for it. Less than a ‘Pineapple’! I had no inclination of purchasing a Large Professional Boomerang. I was researching online for information on a Crackajack model when this struck me firmly between the eyes - for sale and not at an auction site. The … Continue reading Perfection King
This was meant to be a simple tale about Mick Simmons’ Perla mouth organ - first sold in 1927. It became something extra due to information obtained on Mick and his family. I’ll begin when Henry Michael Mitchell Simmons (better known as Mick to his mates) first toddled onto the shores of the new colony. … Continue reading Mick’s Perla
Canadian collector Doug Dawson sent photos of a couple of exquisite Cracker Jacks recently added to his ever expanding collection. F A Rauner sent his models down under (with a little tweak to the name) to Allan & Co. of Melbourne. Sláinte Doug. Built to beat the band. Probably not ideal - better to be … Continue reading Band Beaters
Number 20, pictured here in this Geo. Borgfeldt 1899 Catalogue, is an Aussie branded mouth organ named in reference to our world famous opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. Nellie was born Helen Porter Mitchell in Richmond (an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria Australia) and while learning the ropes in London in 1886, she adopted … Continue reading Doin’ a Melba (or a Farnsy)
Harmonica Riff Raff 