For enthusiasts of early banjo
tin whistle
Not strictly banjo - But I thought some of the Civil War era- music specialists in the group might have an opinion on this. I picked up this old tinwhistle at an estate auction. It has what looks like a "government issue" type stamp on it. Below that, in the circle is a "C" (the key it's in) It's not a band instrument. Would the army ever have actually issued or sold something like this? It still plays nicely but has a lead fipple (the part you put in your mouth) so I don't play it all that much! See other shot as well.
Views: 202
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Comment by Sylvia on June 15, 2010 at 12:56am
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I'm not a Civil War specialist , but the words of a song come to mind....." musket , fyfe and drum " . Drum to beat marching time, the fyfe to add a bit of lightness. ( for fyfe read tin whistle). Ideal for an army marching to a battle. ?
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Comment by razyn on June 15, 2010 at 9:48am
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Seems like this would be a good time to hear from Elaine Masciale, she plays these things. And I don't, but I have a few. Anyway a fife, properly speaking, is a keyless transverse flute (not the tin whistle or recorder type), and doesn't have a fipple, as such. And I believe that except for brass (bugles and such) -- used for signaling because they can be heard farther -- fife and drum has long been the standard military music of western Europe and the Americas. Certainly by the time of colonial settlement on our east coast. There are contemporary references to their use in formal circumstances -- such as the surrender of New Sweden's forts to the Dutch, in 1655 or whenever. And, of course, during our late unpleasantness with George III and his team. For example, a famous painting of the "Spirit of '76" includes the (wounded?) boy musicians on fife & drum. They are used at Ft. Ticonderoga, and I believe at Colonial Williamsburg, in military "living history" presentations, if not reenactments.
In Virginia, one may still purchase a fife and drum license plate. But not, I believe, a tin whistle one.
Cool instrument, though. I agree that the stamp looks like some sort of government-issue mark.
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Comment by Ian Bell on June 15, 2010 at 10:52am
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I wondered if a whistle like this might have been issued or sold at a PX type operation as recreational instrument. It may not be as old as I think.
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The design looks like it was lifted from U.S. coins that were introduced in 1807, and ran for 29 years. It lacks the shield or "sandwich board" on the eagle's breast, but it's the same heraldic idea. That design was by John Reich.
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One like yours was discussed three years ago on the "Chiff and Fipple" forum:
http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=55104
There is at least a hint, in one of the posts, that it was from the Civil War era. The eBay listing cited toward the end of the thread expired long ago, and they didn't bother to lift the illustration from the seller's ad and post it.
Oh, and here was another:
http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4489
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Comment by Joel Hooks on June 15, 2010 at 11:11pm
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While I really don't know squat about them, I did do a bit of looking into fifes ( I have a Ron Peeler Firth and Pond with "historical finger holes). I think that the different sized finger-holes might give an indication just how old it might not be.
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Razyn - Thanks for finding that link on the whistle site. They're difinitely talking about the same make of instrument.
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Comment by Elaine Masciale on June 18, 2010 at 12:01am
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what a great whistle! You have NO idea how excited I am! Unfortunately, I have no idea about this one. As I have researched tin whistles in the antebellum period/Civil War, I come up with nothing. Doesn't mean they didn't exist, just means I can't find anything. Clark certainly was producing whistles by then, but this isn't a Clarke. I can find a few period references to flagolets, but nothing on tin whistles.
Whistles are definitely not fifes, no matter how you spell it. Since I started out on flute, I can assure you they are nothing alike except for being shrill.
I have wondered if the lack of information is because the whistle may have been considered a children's toy.
Trust me, I would love more evidence! I feel bad enough playing in a band since they were predominantly male (yes, I know about the Hutchinsons, but we don't portray them) and on top of it playing an instrument that wasn't part of a normal band.....
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I'm glad you like it Elaine. It's quite heavy - relative to say a Clark and plays quite nicely. Just in case anyone wondered the reason the top hole looks funny is that I've put a bit of scotch tape over it to that note into tune just a little. (A minor concession to 20th century ears - mine) I'm playing it today. We're in the middle of our Marine Heritage Festival Education Day. 300 school kids - eeek!
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In case anybody is following this thread but hasn't looked at the second picture (detail of the eagle and the pitch mark), be sure to click on "Next," above and to the right of Ian's photo.
I'm wondering if it's not pewter, rather than tin -- because I don't see any rust, even where it's dented, and you said it's heavy. Old pewter might give you other lead issues. The lead fipple plug can be lacquered or otherwise masked -- to keep the lead in the instrument, and out of you -- if you want to play it with any regularity.
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