“An extensive tie-up has been arranged with J. Albert and Son on a mutual exploitation idea to boost Boomerang mouth organs and Paramount pictures. These novelties can be obtained from the exchange.” (Everyones Vol.10 No.473 (13 March 1929) These novelties don’t appear to be carved from wood, but more likely a cardboard cut out. Neil … Continue reading Paramount Boomerang
Ernest Garibaldi Hosking conjured his inaugural appearance on this mortal coil at the gold mining town of Ballarat in 1861, the seventh child of Samuel Hosking and Mary Hosking. He was a compositor by trade and employed on a ‘spiritist’ newspaper in Melbourne. Ernest was a man of many talents, one of which was the … Continue reading Hosking’s Haunting Harp
Aerial view of Atheneum (front) and Coliseum (behind) -corner of Little Bridge and Grenville Streets in Ballarat Welcome to the house of Spouse a large edifice that went under an even larger title, the Coliseum. It was on a cool, late October afternoon in the historic gold mining town of Ballarat that P. C. Spouse … Continue reading The House Of Spouse
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
Photo courtesy of Pittwater Online News In 1898 Johs Richter trademarked both the Coo-ee and Kookaburra name for mouth organs. Seydel took over the name of Kookaburra and produced them and in 1910 they trademarked the name Coo-ee for mundharmonikas. We know one exists (just beyond coo-ee) as the owner, the editor of the Pittwater … Continue reading Within Coo-ee
Having recently cleared the property for a hard rubbish collection, I found a cardboard sign which predates our arrival at this property. I would suggest this was for the sale of the land before the house being built in the mid eighties. It had been jammed up against a side fence with just the plain … Continue reading Long Haired Freaky People
Harmonica Riff Raff 