Re: [Harp-L] Re: Harmonica Otherwise playlist on Spotify

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think the reason they didn't make them was the same reason we generally didn't make them in the U.S. until we couldn't get German harmonicas anymore. When the craze hit in the 1920s, German money was so undervalued and the U.S. dollar was so strong, harmonicas from Germany were artificially cheap.
 
David Payne
www.elkriverharmonicas.com


Elk River Harmonicas Forum now available via Iphone app, www.elkriverharmonicas.com/forum


________________________________
 From: Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Cc: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Harmonica Otherwise playlist on Spotify
 
During the time period of which ya'all speak, France was THE bench mark for quality items. Especially during the industrial revolution. They had expositions all the time. In those days the Brits were known for heavy huge endeavors. Like bridges, steam engines, heavy equipment. France was known for small intricate artisticaly done items, architecture, and any thing of artistic design. Because of the tendency for Americans to buy anything exotic, It became something of a klepto for anyone wanting to sell to Americans to attach the name 'French' to it. 

The French even had a quality badge that they would afix to winners of expositions categories. It was the representation of the highest point in Europe. Namely Mont Blanc. The Mt. Blanc was considered the zenith or highest point of craftsmanship.  It was (basically) the snow capped summit and as such resembled a white star shaped stamp. This was not a Star of David (with 30 degree departure angles), but was an ENTRUNCATED star (37.5 degree angles). Over the years this has erroneously been thought of as a star of David.

smo-joe  (whom always wondered why the French didn't make harmonicas..I'm sure they would have been works of art.)
      

On Jun 25, 2012, at 7:49 AM, David Payne wrote:

> There was an actual model in the late 1800s early 1900s called the French Harp, my contention is the name stuck, kind of like Band Aid did for bandages. 
> 
> I can't speak for the entire South, but Archeological harmonica evidence I've reviewed from Virginia would suggest in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries that most harps in the mid Atlantic South were supplied by Klingenthal makers and not Hohner - who apparently must have been better established in the North - and other things I've seen have given me the impression that Hohner had little control over the U.S. Market until around 1905, so it would make sense to me that another harmonica could have bestowed it's name upon the whole - and it was probably readily accepted for the reason Pat mentioned. My grandmother always called it a French harp.
> David
> 
> www.elkriverharmonicas.com
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Jun 25, 2012, at 5:30, Benoît FELTEN <benoit.felten@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>> That got me wondering why "French Harp" and I found this explanation on Pat
>> Missin's excellent site:
>> 
>> "French" was often used in the US South to mean "European" and although
>> harmonicas were mostly made in Germany, they wound up being called French
>> Harps (compare with the Irish Gaelic term below).
>> 
>> http://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q3.html
>> 
>> Apparently in Gaelic it was the "French Fiddle" !
>> 
>> Benoit
>> 
>> 2012/6/25 Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>
>> 
>>> "Also, there are a host of great harmonica players in France --
>>> disproportionate to the population, I believe."
>>> 
>>> Maybe that's why it's also nicknamed the "french harp".
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Benoît FELTEN (http://twitter.com/fiberguy)
>> www.fiberevolution.com
>> www.musicalramblings.com
>> www.apprentiphotographe.com
>