RE: [Harp-L] New subject: Why is a harmonica called a harp?

["Eric Neumann" <eneumann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

did a gig where I was introduced as one who "plays the French harp". The
term French harp has a lot of historical value. That moniker has been
used along with mouth organ, tin sandwich, mississippi saxophone, pocket
orchestra... et cetera, and the list goes on. Most often here in my neck
of the woods - we call it a harp.

Even though I am no angel, I will always tell folks I play the harp.

I would take a wild ass guess that the term "harp" was once used as a
marketing scheme, or that the term ____-Harp was on the cover plate of
some vastly distributed harmonica. If you know about Ingersol watches,
there was a time in the history of the US where if something was called
an Ingersol - it meant it was a cheap POS. That's because Ingersol made
so damn many watches, so cheaply, and in such abundence that the product
got a bad rap. The term is not so well known today, but I imagine that
the word harp as it is associated with the harmonica, is probably
because of an early popular model that got widely distributed.

Now... with that theory - I commit myself to the flames. Thanks in
advance.