By Silversmith Karl Gustaf Hjalmar Armfeldt
Antique Escargot shape whistle with an embossed elephant, (May had been made to an Indian Raja ?) inlaid with gems Faberge
Whistle Length app. 68 mm Weight 31,6 Russian whistle
The whistle was auctioned with a start price of £2500, whistle museum archive .
(Not a part of our collection)
Three German made Composition Paint Escargot shape whistles.
Under construction
Marine, Naval, Nautical, Navy whistles, Professional whistles
is a huge subject in itself, small none Bosun – Boatswain’s call,
Speaking tube whistles and large steam whistle and more.
Here are some Compostion paint whistles.
Short Forward
A short forward is called for in regards with some terms connected to this
very specific subject of Naval Interest. mostly ESCARGOT type whistles.
German, British , France, USA.
It is an original relatively small theme – sub-category which I would like to put a spotlight on, hopefully I would find out others.
Composition Paint was in used in the later 19th Century to
earlier part of 20th century. The term changed to Anti-Fouling Paints.
wikipedia Anti-fouling paint
Iron Ships Ironclad Warship Maritime Museum
The Companies of Compostion paint were thriving towards the late 19th century, The whistles they ordered and used were all Escargot – Snail shaped -referee – type whistles, ordered with their LOGO Company’s name and / or paint trade mark name. These were used as advertisement and by workers.
(One found exeption is a De Courcy made Round Pea Whistle For a British Paint.
Most were ORDERED by German Companies some naturally from German Makers , Some German companies ordered some whistles from British whistles makers.
There are just about 12 whistles known to me as of now.
Hopefully others will surface. Whistles made in Germany, England, U.S.A
A example for a French company was ordered from Acme whistles Ltd.
after mid 1920s.
GERMAN MADE COMPOSITION PAINT ESCARGOTS
I shall take a look at 6 German ones :
1) Stern Composition logo. The F.A.C Van Der Linder & Co. HAMBURG, Stern composition Paint by Heinrich Zimmerman Leipzig, 1890s early 1900 is of speciaal importance, since it is one of the first to be seen with this Interlocking Teeth
2) Holzapfel Composition paint Propeler Logo
3) Von Hoverling Compostion Paint (Est. 1879)
A closer look at Number one Stern, – Star Logo, Made By Heinrich Zimmerman
C. 1900 Reveals it has 4 Interlocking teeth, Known as Dove-tail or Nut feather in wood working.
3 Teeth to side and one to the beak on each side,
This is important since it appeared over a decade before this type of construction was used by Gotham Metal work, an American Company.
And was unattributed until i discovered this few years back.
Three more German made Escargot type whistles for Composition paint:
4) Th. Höeg Patent, Hamburg
5) Hansa Farben Fabrik with X shape trade mark to side (Based in Kiel)
6) Rhatjen’s Shiffs boden with Red Hand Logo Trade Mark – Shutz marke
(See whistle’s photos on original advertisemnt)
Number 4 Front Stamp
Under construction spotlight on antique Single Note Conical whistles
19th Century Single Note Conical Whistle with a Pea, Brass top & Wooden whistle.
A.Strauss
Henri Kratz-Boussac ( K.B) created the company “Les inventions nouvelles” in 1883. In his catalogue in 1900 are many optical toys (sciopticons, kaleidoscopes etc).
He build a factory for toys in Douville-sur-Andelle in Normandy in 1905. He was also famous for his gun-toys and children cars. As you can see, except for a very few specialised makers, the whistles in France were mostly produced by toys makers or music instruments makers.
American Whistles.
When I discovered the 1rst Bean Police whistle it was great new,
Called by fellow collectors, The ‘Holy Grail’ of American whistle,
It was the first two note Tube type whistle, found, to predate Hudson & Co. of England, and Before I discovered the first two notes tube whistles by Stevens & Sons Model No. 27 from the 1860s .
The original patent was ‘Billy’s Club’ which made it hard to find.
It did not have the tittle call (The term used in the 19th century for professional whistles.
It did ignite the search for more & more variations which showed, still a rare whistle just about a dozen or two in collections,
I found it in Patent search and then in a Pettibone Brothers Chicago Catalog of 1901 along few other earlier catalogs, still the Pettibone Brothers showed a Model number 26 which I was not being able to find .
When a Friend asked me what it is, lately & enclosed the photos, I was glad to see Model Number 426 and that I have the answer.
Took many years to have a clear view of one, It is the 2nd I had seen,
the 2nd top right show the stamp Patent applied for.
It is certainly an unusual design and has two sound chambers.
Pettibone Brothers Catalog page
There were previous other earlier catalogs with model 424 (J.P. Moore and John Lovell But none with 426
A. Strauss
Underconstruction
Merryweather & Sons established 1692 and Shand Mason & Co. were two of the larger retailers of Fire Brigade accoutrements, whistles were just one of the products they retailed, they manufactured others, but our interest is in whistles.
I will bring some of their whistle pages from19th century catalogues.,
and share two very rare whistles identified by using the catalogs.
When I started writing I found many more Fire Brigade whistles
from these catalogues and I share some of mine and some from archive.
Staffordshire Constabulary Button Top Conical whistle type (TNC-Nick Named Beaufort)
(Under construction)
It is important to categorize and define accurate names for whistle types,
Mostly for more common ones, but when it comes to very rare ones it may be of less importance. (The type were previously referred to as Crest top).
The next few observations are about whistles that very few collectors own and lucky are the ones that have one, let alone few. Still they are gems to look at and study.
This newly found one which is very different from all others I had seen
turned my attention to these again*,
The whistle has few unusual features seen only with this one,
It has a great sound with about a whole step apart between the two notes,
Pitch is A & a slightly Flatt B) It measures 60.82 mm in length, the windows are larger then usual, so is the body, and the top bubble has a groove (AKA Crimp ring)
and it is a heavy cast one, As far as I can tell it was made by Dowler
(albeit that top may hint at a work by A. DeCourcy) .
Photo was taken from this website The Nick Harris School
A whistle a day
Large Extra HEAVY solid silver whistle , continental silver hallmark.
Length: 93 mm with masonic symbol. Probably German or French.
Octagonal tapered design, upper side is solid.
Probasbly of French oor Ge3rman origin, c 1880s t0 1910s .
It is all smooth, was clean when I got but it was blackened during the time I have it.
FREEMASONRY
I tthe links you may see the History of Freemasonry in France
FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE
German Signal Instruments Manufacturer. A. Strauss
Trillerpfeifen, Early Escargot- Referee- Snail whistle with Long beak, & Tear drop shaped sound chamber, Late 19th Century, Early 20th Century.
Forward
When it comes to whistles, two major players, The British and the German whistle manufacturers went through important changes during the 19th century Industrial revolution, with new designs and means of manufacturing, I can Clearly see the reciprocal inspiration and parallel developments.
The Pfretzschner’s family (Musical Instruments makers) history goes back hundreds of years and the Brass instruments making started in 1750 in Markneuekirchen and area, The Firm itself was established in 1834 .
I visited there twice for research during the two last two decades,
It is enough to mention that in the 1870s about 70% of the world’s musical Instruments from China to America were produced there, to start and imagine the wealth of material, which is endless and an mine of info which can be studied there, when it comes to manufacturing Instruments including whistles of all types.
The Markneuekirchen Musical Instrument Museum Founded in the 19th Century is Highly recommended.
Ridge under beak for under strengthening.
The 4 Different variations left to right, are made differently.
Left is the latest with a single Ball top (Knop), and Nickel or Chrom plating,
The sound chamber is more rounded.
the 2nd seems to be iron, albeit it is a none magnetic hard metal,
The third is nickel plated brass with small loop ring.
The 4th is of the best quality German Silver ( AKA alpaca or Nickel Silver)
It is slightly larger and made with outmost care to details as well as having a larger
Sound Chamber & Beak. All are app. 80 mm long.
This function has been disabled for Whistle Museum.