Jew's Harp

[Charles Kaiser]

Hallo Kameraden,
does someone now something about the use of this item in the civil war? I think this very old instrument, which was easily to transport, because it made of steal, and easier to play like an Harmonica. I think this was very common in the former times and not mostly limited to the "traditional bavarian Music" like in our days.

P.s I have searched on this forum, but I couldn't find something

[DocReynolds]

Re: Jew's Harp

The Jew's Harp, Jaw Harp, or whatever of the hundreds of names you can use is old. Certaninly older than our era. (I did some research about 2 years ago). It would have been in existence during the Revolution, although I cannot say if it was here in the States during that era in any a[ppreciable numebrs).

It would have been easy to get, and probably easier than the harmonica (which comes into use over here in the 1850s from what I've read and heard) because it would be cheaper.

Having said that I can't say I've read lots of accounts of "the boys gettin' together with their jew's harp's bones and whistles. " to have a "sing"...Of course, I know that tin whistles and harmonicas were around too, but letters and diaries don;t talk about "the great Tin whistle competition last night" any more than they mention jews harps.

If I can find the sites I accessed befor, I'll let you know.

Pete Bedrossian
150thNY/3rd NC

[lukegilly13]

Re: Jew's Harp

Here's a nice read:

http://www.jewsharpguild.org/history.html

[Raven]

Re: Jew's Harp

What I know, back then most of them were made of wood and was invented during the 1600's. Im sure some soldiers would have had one of these. Correct me if im wrong.

[Mcouioui]

Re: Jew's Harp

Charles, this is one CW harmonica image, you will notice that he has not exactly the same face as one modern harmonica, I too much looked on events of the lads which played very well... But with a modern instrument.
I hid somewhere in my computer a photo of Jew Harp I look and post here

[Mcouioui]

Re: Jew's Harp

It is this model for which you look?

[Charles Kaiser]

Re: Jew's Harp

Thanks a lot for both Images, William. I've contacted a Harmonica Museum in Germany, but they had no adequate Images of periodical Instruments, and the modern Jew Harps are not so ornamentical. I try to find one on Fleamarkets!

Richter worked arround 1825, and was the Inventor of the Konfiguration of Harmonicas, which is still in our days Present in most of the Harmonicas

[Hank Trent]

Re: Jew's Harp

It is this model for which you look?

Is it just me, or is part of the jew's harp supposed to look like a horseshoe? You can see rudimentary cauks and slots for the nails. Can't really judge the size but I don't think it really was made from a horse or pony shoe, but it looks like someone put in some work to make it resemble one.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Jew's Harp

It does look like a horse shoe indeed. Christof why don't you forge one yourself?

[Mcouioui]

Re: Jew's Harp

Is it just me, or is part of the jew's harp supposed to look like a horseshoe? You can see rudimentary cauks and slots for the nails. Can't really judge the size but I don't think it really was made from a horse or pony shoe, but it looks like someone put in some work to make it resemble one.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

Yes you are right, that looks like that a lot i found this photo on Internet, it is given as dating the CW period, what is sure it is that Of Jew harps are old, we find already wooden in the 16th century and there had certainly in metal in the 17th. century, to see this picture of 1621 of Dirck van BABUREN (1590-1624)

[lojafan]

Re: Jew's Harp

It's very doubtful that that jew harp was made from a horse shoe. If it were it would be very awkward to hold, as a cheap reproduction jew harp is already awkward to hold and 1/2 to 1/3 the size of a horse shoe. It's most likely just make to look as if it were one.

[Mcouioui]

Re: Jew's Harp

It is can be is born in the imagination of a smith who gave him this image because the shape inspired the horseshoe...

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Jew's Harp

This one was definitely not made from a horseshoe but resembles its shape! Decoration!

[Mcouioui]

Re: Jew's Harp

Ja, decoration...
Let us be two minutes on the place of the lad when he make him, there is a chance so that he is a smith, so that his work of every day is to shoe horses, If I am on his place, the idea comes to me naturally to the mind.
Someone will say, bad calculation and they will maybe be right, but I think that the work of amateur historian, it is to look at an object or the touch, and to see through him, even if it leads to the error... It is just my 2cts. ;)

[David Fox]

Re: Jew's Harp

As I recall, Stan Phillips in his "Excavated Artifacts of the Civil War" illustrates a dug specimen.