Re: [Harp-L] U.S. Civil War relic harmonica

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well, I see the eBay seller has revised the dating to 1930s, but I don't know the seller can date it at all. Looks like a typical Hohner reedplate as used in the current Marine Band, pre-MS Blues harp and possibly other models.  

Also, I don't believe this reedplate has spent much if any time in the ground or it would show much more corrosion. This looks like a reedplate that came straight off a well-played harmonica after it busted a couple of reeds. I'm seeing rust around the steel rivets that would happen normally during playing, and the sort of gunge on the reedplate that again would collect during normal play. And of course a few broken reeds. (Hmm, maybe I can make money by hacking up my dead harmonicas, roughing them up a bit, and selling the parts as relics . . . .)

While most of what is claimed about civil war harmonicas is bunk, I'd be interested in seeing some valid research on harmonicas in North America prior to Hohner's entry around 1868-1870.

Winslow


--- On Thu, 5/15/08, David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] U.S. Civil War relic harmonica
> To: "Harp L Harp L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Thursday, May 15, 2008, 2:55 AM
> Hey Y'all, 
> 
> Word of warning if you're into War Between the States
> (they call it the Civil War in Ohio)  and harmonicas and
> are thinking about the combining the two hobbies....
> Harmonicas weren't as common during the war as the
> movies would have you think and most "dug"
> harmonicas are not Civil War, they were usually lost by
> some kid years later. I have however, seen possibly
> authentic dug harps. Usually a reedplate is all that's
> left and it's usually in pieces. 
> 
> The Civil War is the time that the harp starts catching on.
> That's in the North. It doesn't really get to the
> SOuth after the war. For some soldier to get himself one in
> the South, he'd had to 1) find a Yankee with a harp 2)
> take it if he's dead, trade some tobacco for it if
> he's alive. Tobacco was hard to get in the north, so
> you had all these Yankee soldiers with the nic fits when
> they ran out.  In the South, I'm not aware of any of
> captains of these ultra=fast side-wheel steamer who risked
> their life to bring a cargo of harmonicas, for which there
> was little market, through the UNion blockade. 
> 
> Somebody goes to one of the 1,300 )or so War Between the
> States battlefields in the U.S..most of which are
> unprotected.. or the 436 or so in Virginia with a metal
> detector and they find a harp, they assume it is Civil War.
> Usually, it is not, it fell out of some kids pocket years
> later. Usually when a dug harp is listed as authentic Civil
> War, it's not, but that doesn't mean they are trying
> to rip you off necessarily, they probably dont' know
> better. There's as much chance of a harps laying under
> the ground at Valley Forge as there is at Gettysburg, and
> Washington had NO harmonicas at Valley Forge. Y'all get
> the idea?
> What got me thinking about this is the following Ebay
> listing for a Civil War Harmonica.
> 
> 
> 
> "This Auction is for a Complete Dug Harmonica Reed
> Civil War Era Relic."
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/Complete-Dug-Harmonica-Reed-Civil-War-Era-Relic_W0QQitemZ380026368968QQihZ025QQcategoryZ208QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
> 
> 
> The reedplate, my friends, is not Civil War. It is from a
> mid 1930s Marine Band/Old Standby. Now Y'all know. And
> knowing is half the battle. 
> 
> Dave
> _____________________________
> Dave Payne Sr. 
> Elk RIver Harmonicas
> www.elkriverharmonicas.com 
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