Young Sailor Ready To Play

[Rod Thompson]

Viewer's left?  Nope, he's playing bones.

I like his hat! (and the one on the far right mouth organ player).

 

Is that a zither in the middle? (Or an autoharp) - neither are cliche sailor's instruments.

Edited September 7, 2004 by Rod Thompson

[Stephen Chambers]

Interestingly, for all our theories, in Stephen's picture, that seems to be an English concer in the lantern slide.

Funnily enough, his hand position makes me think it is more likely an anglo, but he seems to be holding it strangely. If you enlarge the image it looks like his thumb is outside the thin strap, in fact only his middle finger appears to be inside it, perhaps the strap was too small for his large hands.

 

Also the Foo Foo Band picture could easily be an English concertina.

I think his hand position suggests that.

 

(How did you come by that picture, Stephen? Any idea of its age?).

It was recently bought by my good friend Gerard Dole, in Paris, off eBay. The image was shown reversed in the listing, which allowed you to read the caption better, but I corrected it before posting (thinking it fair to assume that both of the banjo players, and the guitarist, were unlikely to be all left-handed !). It seems to have been taken, in New York, in the 1890's, or early 1900's, but I don't know what nationality the sailors are, the concertina player and the guitarist seem to have darker skin (or is that a trick of the light ?).

 

Nobody has yet commented on it, but I am very struck by how many of these references are to the use of concertinas on warships, but none yet to whalers or schooners.

[JimLucas]

Interestingly, for all our theories, in Stephen's picture, that seems to be an English concer in the lantern slide.

Funnily enough, his hand position makes me think it is more likely an anglo, but he seems to be holding it strangely. If you enlarge the image it looks like his thumb is outside the thin strap, in fact only his middle finger appears to be inside it,...

That was also my impression at first, but after careful examination at various magnifications I belive the line behind the middle finger is either dirt or a shadow, since it's much too thin and it doesn't extend to encircle even the finger. Meanwhile, I think I detect the outline of a thumb strap. I can't be absolutely sure, though, since the resolution is inadequate, and I'm seeing individual pixels. Stephen, can your friend Gerard see more detail in the original, perhaps by projecting it?

 

Whether anglo or English, I think he's holding the concertina at a downward angle. I.e., the forward-pointing corner of the instrument is not the "top", as the keyboard is normally pictured; the downward-pointing corner is. Also, I think it's a 5-fold bellows. Anyone agree? Disagree?

 

The image was shown reversed in the listing, which allowed you to read the caption better, but I corrected it before posting (thinking it fair to assume that both of the banjo players, and the guitarist, were unlikely to be all left-handed !).

A normal projecting lens reverses an image, so it's standard to insert a slide into the projector so that it looks reversed to the projectionist. So putting the label on the "reverse" side, where the projectionist can see it, is right.

 

...I don't know what nationality the sailors are, the concertina player and the guitarist seem to have darker skin (or is that a trick of the light ?).

My own guess of East European origin is based on facial resemblances to some of my Polish friends. But I've just done some googling, and the sailors' dress seems consistent with US Navy regulations of 1897. To me that seems more likely than a foreign war vessel in New York Harbor, though I suppose the latter wouldn't be impossible. It could even have been a ship involved in the Spanish-American War, which began officially after the USS Maine, in a display of force against the Spanish in 1898, was sunk by an explosion in Havana harbor. The navy played a major part in that war, since it mainly involved Spain's island colonies... Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam. Blacks did serve in the US military during that war, and though in the infantry they generally formed their own units, I think the navy has always been more integrated. Even my guess of Polish heritage in some of the faces is consistent, as the US was the destination of millions of immigrants during the 19th century, and new immigrants were not excluded from military service. (In fact, there's more than one Irish song about arriving in America during our Civil War, only to be immediately drafted into the army.)

[Stephen Chambers]

Stephen, can your friend Gerard see more detail in the original, perhaps by projecting it?

Jim,

 

Knowing Gerard, I am sure that he would be very amused to put on a "magic-lantern show" sometime, but we may have to find a "magic-lantern" first ! There may be some food and a few bottles of wine to be bought too, which are all the more welcome after climbing all the way up to his eyrie in the rue de Buci.

 

It sounds like a good excuse for a trip to Paris (good enough for me anyway !), as I didn't manage to go on my annual pilgrimage to the Django festival this year.

 

Cheers,

[Nanette Hooker]

I can't be absolutely sure, though, since the resolution is inadequate, and I'm seeing individual pixels.

I think we need some of that software that I've seen in spy movies, you know, where they magnify an image then somehow they make it really clear.

[Stephen Chambers]

I think we need some of that software that I've seen in spy movies, you know, where they magnify an image then somehow they make it really clear.

Ah no, the trip to Paris is much more fun, don't go and rob me of my excuse !

[Rod Thompson]

An urgent trip to Paris is definitely required.

 

I have a loupe - I'll bring it over as well

[Nanette Hooker]

While searching the internet for some other concertina-related information I found the following information

 

The National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, UK) has a small collection of musical instruments with a maritime connection: concertina by C Jones, Patent concertina manufacturer, used by seaman William Figg in the 1860s on board HMS Royal Oak and Juno.

 

 

Web page http://www.nmm.ac.uk/site/request/setTempl...Id/005002006000

[JimLucas]

The National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, UK) has a small collection of musical instruments with a maritime connection: here

Two pianos, two "musical boxes", two flutes, and two bugles, but only one concertina?

And four drums, yet not one of them described as a bodhran.

[Rod Thompson]

Two pianos, two "musical boxes", two flutes, and two bugles, but only one concertina?

And four drums, yet not one of them described as a bodhran.

Yes - but omitting all the instruments from prior to 1860, - the barrel organ, Ship's piano by Raymond, the Violin, the two flutes and two drums;

 

The ones that couldn't be played on the foredeck - the other piano.

 

The musical boxes - just because I don't like the picture of sailors sitting around the deck singing to music boxes (my prejudice ).

 

And the drums and bugles, that couldn't be used for singing songs on the foredeck,

 

we are left with one banjo and one concertina.

 

 

Sorry I have been so long replying to this - I am still reading. I hope to have some more to post shortly.

[JimLucas]

...I don't like the picture of sailors sitting around the deck singing to music boxes (my prejudice ).

How about an iPod...or a portable karaoke machine?

 

And the drums and bugles, that couldn't be used for singing songs on the foredeck,

And why not?

Oh, right, you said, "prejudice".

[Rod Thompson]

And why not?

Well - the only songs I know that are suitable for singing to bugle music are:

 

"Come to the cookhouse door boys . . . etc".

 

and

 

"I bought a horse, I bought a cow, I bought a donkey

I sold the horse, I killed the cow, I kept the donkey

and the silly old ... he died"

 

(from my youth, as bugler in the school cadets).

 

. . . and did you notice, the only drum from our period from a ship was the base (sic) drum?

Edited October 19, 2004 by Rod Thompson

[JimLucas]

. . . and did you notice, the only drum from our period from a ship was the base drum? 

WWI may be your period, but -- contrary to the taunts of the local youth -- it was never mine.

 

Also, I wonder if the misspelling was deliberate.

The instrument was probably intended as a "bass" (low-pitched) , not a "base" (a support for other objects), though I know there are those who would prefer the latter use.

[Rod Thompson]

WWI may be your period, but -- contrary to the taunts of the local youth -- it was never mine. 

I really meant our instrument's period - I also am not quite that old

 

Also, I edited the previous post to add the (sic) after "base" - even though I don't know what "(sic)" means -

"See if I Care"

"See I'm Clever" ?

 

(the Maritime Museum says it's a base drum - who am I to argue?)