14 Double Holes (F A Rauner not identified on either plate) - Doesn’t appear in 1905 Cat Page from Feldheim, Gotthelf & Co 1905 Store Catalogue (Musical Instruments were located on their second floor) Box top inside label Left: Scorcher F A Rauner TM Right: 12 Double Holes (back plate identifies F A Rauner) - … Continue reading Firebrand
What in the heck is the name on this F A Rauner harmonica that’s being offered (no box) for sale in Box Hill? I know it’s manufactured by F A Rauner from the reverse plate, where his name and logo is prominent. Rauner was prolific in the Antipodes with several Australian monikered harmonicas - the … Continue reading Vorpostenboot Rosemarie
My latest acquisition. The one after the 266 (I said move over once - and a half). However more likely after the 265 as the 266 was originally the 264 1/2. Confused welcome to the world of harmonica identification. The 48 Chord Harmonica (also known as the Akkorda) was manufactured nearly ten years later than … Continue reading No. 267
Latest acquisition to the Crackajack stable is a 1925 Mouth Organ Cover (envelope). Recently on sale primarily for philatelists as the King George stamp has a white flaw on top of the large number one in the right value shield. Thankfully a reduced offer was accepted by the seller as I wasn’t overly interested at … Continue reading Doctor Doctor (Give me the News)
Who made who, who made you?Who made who, ain't nobody told you?Who made who, who made you? If you made them and they made you Who picked up the bill, and who made who? Yeah who made whoWho turned the screw? AC/DC This article is a combination of quite a few drafts for separate articles … Continue reading Who Made Who?
Cobber: Australian and New Zealand informal - a friend/mate (male). Word origin: from dialect cob to take a liking to someone Source: Collins English Dictionary. Bauer & Krause Here I go again off to find the maker of the Aussie Cobber mouth organ sold exclusively by Jackson & MacDonald of Druitt Street, Sydney. We had … Continue reading On The Trail Of The Cobber Coach.
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
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
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 top left) consisted of not more than a tin shed in York Street, Wynyard. In 1883 … Continue reading Topnotch Palings
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
Harmonica Riff Raff 