Diatonic harmonica and bass/blow accordion
Maker
Matthias Hohner
Date1903
Place MadeTrossingen, Germany, Europe
ModelOrganola
Serial No.None
SignedStamped on the back casing of diatonic harmonica: Left side: DEM VERDIENSTE (written sideways, reads bottom to top) / WIEN / [double-ringed medal containing three people] ULM (in a medal) / [double-ringed medal containing a right-facing bust] 1873 1871 (in a medal)
Center: TRADE MARK / [two hands extending from jagged, cuffed, buttoned sleeves holding a double-ringed medal with a six-pointed star in the center] GESETZLICH / GESCHÜTZT (written around the inner edges) / M. Hohner
Right side: STUTT / GART (in a medal) PHILAD / [double-ringed medal containing laurel leaves] / 1881 (in a medal) [double-ringed medal containing a seated person facing left] 1876 / GR. BRONCE (written sideways, reads top to bottom)
MarkingsStamped on the front casings of diatonic harmonica and bass harmonicas: ORGANOLA
Stamped on the back casings of bass harmonicas: M. HOHNER
Stamped on the bass harmonica sound chamber, bottom of instrument: ORGANOLA / D. R. Pat. No. 131825 U. S. A. Pat. Sept. 9th 02 No. 708805 / English Patent No. 16550/01 / Austrian and other Patents applied for / Made by M. HOHNER Germany.
DescriptionThis Organola has features of both a conventional diatonic harmonica and a blow accordion, which allows the player to play a tune on the harmonica and play tonic/chord accompaniment at the same time. It consists of one diatonic harmonica attached to two bass chord harmonicas, activated by a blow mouthpiece and buttons. The mouthpiece is held under the upper lip and moves sideways by virtue of the flexible tube.
Diatonic harmonica: metal casings, wooden comb varnished honey one side, painted black three sides, 2 brass plates with 10 brass reeds each, 20 reeds. 10 holes, 2 reeds per hole (1 blow, 1 draw). Attached to the blow accordion section with a metal bracket which also holds together the three section of the blow accordion at the front of the instrument.
Blow accordion attachment: metal casings and sound chamber, wooden body in three sections, all varnished brown. These sections are held together by a metal bracket at the back and front of the instrument (the front one holds the diatonic harmonica). 8 metal buttons with springs, metal mounting elbow for rubber hose which attaches to metal mouthpiece. Each button on the left side produces a bass/tonic note: C, G, F, and D, while the buttons on the right side produce three note chords: C, G7, F, D7. These notes sound when blowing into the mouthpiece.
Despite the glowing claims in its huge ad campaign, Organola sales were meager. In theory, musicians could play a tune and an accompanying chord simultaneously. In reality, they had to simultaneously blow into the main harmonica for the melody and into the top tube to activate the side harmonicas’ accompaniment.
DimensionsSee Harmonica Description Sheet.
ProvenancePreviously owned and played by George G. Donaldson (1868-1930), a photographer on F Street in Washington, DC, for 33 years, and a collector of musical instruments, who was a member of a harmonica band, played dulcimer and banjo, and owned some 15 folk instruments. Alan G. Bates acquired it from Sandy Holder, Donaldson's great-great-great niece, Eugene, Oregon.
Published ReferencesRandall, Lee Raine M. _The Hohner Harmonica Company: Models and Marketing Material from About 1900 to 1940_. MM Thesis. Vermillion: University of South Dakota, 2007.
Credit LineAlan G. Bates Collection, 2002
Object number10265
On View
Not on view
1885-1899 ca.