Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Theory, etc. - history of positions




On Feb 23, 2007, at 8:29 PM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:


Smojoe writes (snipped):

"I took 34.5 million, tossed out the women, girls and very small boys
and estimate 10.33 million males that could have had a harmonica.
I divided this by 2,200 (10% of Hohner's production-a fair estimate)
and that comes to 1 harmonica for every 4,697 males of harmonica
bearing age."

Hey! thanks for "tossing out the women"! sheesh! Who ever said harmonica playing was strictly relegated to the male of the species?
<VBG>

Oh golly, that was based on there being no women, girls or very small boys in the armies & navies (except nurses). Sooo, at almost 5,ooo men PER harmonica, it IS conceivable that in a large battle there 'could' be a couple harp-l members engaged. (very big grin). Example: Battle: 2,ooo Confederates = 0.4 harp players, while 3,ooo Union = 0.6 harp players. Conclusion? ONE Union solder (0.6) (who 'could' have actually been a southern sympathizer)(0.4) may have been present and playing A Stephen Foster classic (Way Down Upon The Suwanee River) around the campfire.

No really, was it so back then? I have no idea since the harmonica never seemed to me to be a gender specific instrument, so am only wondering if more women played it then than people today realize?

I believe a LOT more women played them that anyone realizes. I have seen a few pictures of very old Hohner posters and they show women and girls playing harmonicas while smiling and wearing their traditional Bavarian? (here we go again) costumes, while the men stand around in their Leider-Hosen looking stupid. I believe it was on a trip to Klagenfurt Austria in 1952?
In support of that, Europe (notably Austria, Holland, Italy) has produced numerous terrific women players. Admittedly, most have been on chromo.


Since I do know for sure there were several Black women mentioned as players during the early days of the 20th Century....

Dunno, unlike some on this list, I am no expert by any stretch. What I DO remember is that as a hobo in 1961, I was working drifting the south and happened upon a woman player named Wilhelmina Mae Thornton. This girl could PLAY. And I'm so sure she wasn't the first.

...inquiring minds would be interested in the facts :)

Can't help you there. I can only give my own speculations ascertained from a high degree of ascertainment. I'm not one to browse or Google anything. I'm on dial up, don't have the time, can't be bothered, and my genius comes straight from my brain. People oftentimes like to diplomatically correct me and this is fine as I sit here giggling, as I oftentimes write things just to start something new and get off the subjects involving things that no one cares about, and people who are long dead, and weren't that hot anyhoo. Oooops, I think the cat is out of the bag now.


smokey-joe

Elizabeth







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