December 2015 – Whistle Museum

The First Known Patent for an American Escargot, Snail, Referee Type Whistle 1869 USA Patent , Early American whistles (1) A.Strauss

Pat. # 91,704 June 22 ,1869 .The whistle is made of a tin metal sheet .
I found the actual sample in 2005

Drawing of the Patent, originally designed to be made in large size as steam whistle of brass, or a small tin mouth whistle.
Continue reading The First Known Patent for an American Escargot, Snail, Referee Type Whistle 1869 USA Patent , Early American whistles (1) A.Strauss

19th Century British Snail Whistles, Referee, Escargot Whistles, Rare Antique Whistles

( Under construction ) Includes 65 Photos
1881 Maker L. D. sold by Ortner & Houle 3 James St. London , Snail whistle (Escargot ) shaped whistle.

The article is about British snail (Escargot ) whistles made with in Victorian times.
Other articles about Snail Button type whistles which is a sub- category and as far as I know came first but there is less information about its makers will follow.

Three whistle Models made by Henry Arthur Ward late 1880’s and early 1890’s
Glasgow style construction and stamped;
Alpha Improved Call No. 23 No. 24 and 25
As with most referee standart types the smaller models are rarer , and so Model # 25 was first noted after 2005 .
These were made in his Alpha Gun Works in Birmingham.

Henry Arthur Ward 3 whistle Models Alpha Gun works Escargot, snail whistles whistle museum

Continue reading 19th Century British Snail Whistles, Referee, Escargot Whistles, Rare Antique Whistles

Slide whistle, J. Stevens & Son Model # 36 Glasgow, nineteenth Century ,England

Stevens & Sons Glasgow and London , see British Whistle Manufacturer History , The whistle was Probably made around 1850’s and designed by Richard Porteous. It is marked a Model # 36 on the body.
( August 5, 1802 – Jan. 3, 1881)
Closed position It is a brilliant design since while other slide whistles of the period 1840’s and 1850’s had a sliding rod which could be moved in and out inside to determin the pitch , this design has the cap top around the body and the sliding part is out side the whistle’s body.

Open position & back side

The Three parts

Certainly a very innovative tricky design, of a Slide whistle, unlike most slide whistles it has a smaller register within a range of a 5th, not a full octave. C – G notes. the picture above shows its unassembled 3 parts.
The shorter part has a fillet and longer one a flare outward , so once the longer part (middle of picture) slides into the shorter part which is just a bit wider and comes to a stop at the flare, then the loop – knop top screws on top and the and by pulling the knop the slide works making the whistle shorter or longer.
The top part is cast and milled and has a screw thread on the inner part, all made of one piece.
All in all very rare and extremely well made whistle.
Made of German silver.