Ear Trumpets for the BBC questions and answers
| ARRANGEMENT These were sold to provide an improvement to hearing which ones are 'right' as antiques and as ear trumpets? |
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Powered by a 4.5v 'flat' battery (from 1901) - this makes a buzzing noise. Supposed to improve hearing by sticking in the ear! useless but of the time |
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Virtually straight - probably a marriage between home made earpiece and half a car/bicycle horn - possibly fake |
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Designed to deceive - made of modern parts, sold with blurred picture online |
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Recent repro of perfectly good trumpet |
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Fireman's or sailor's speaking tube, for the sender not the receiver |
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Repair gone wrong
the earpiece re-soldered the wrong way around. A home made piece but with skill in the earpiece |
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Beater's or harking horn, makes a noise just by blowing |
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Horn for Fox Hunting and Beagling |
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Civil War trumpet, - excellent reproduction of the correct one at Kent State |
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Banjo 1949 £100 |
| UNUSUAL ITEMS to be discussed with host |
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Bought from a gentleman's estate in Alabama via a dealer in Brooklyn NY |
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decorative trumpet chased with Indian animals bought from a nunnery in Canada |
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An expensive 7 horn trumpet bought in Houston Texas, probably unique and quite old ~1820. The horns are enamelled metal and in extraordinary condition. |
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A very early ladle shaped trumpet |
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Only one in 450 that is vaguely art deco |
| WHAT'S THE CONNECTION ? What makes these a group ? |
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Rein 108 Traditional cow horn shaped trumpet |
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Conversation tube OL380A Mears |
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Pair of Auricles |
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Large London Dome |
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Tiny London Dome 1860 |
| MYSTERY OBJECT What is this set of objects for ? |
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Magnetic compass and 2 painted pieces. quack magnetic ear cups with compass as tester |
| A STORY ATTACHED | |
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In a red leather box, bought from a Lady in New York. She had two, one plastic and one silver for Church on Sundays !! |
| OTHER
BACKGROUND ITEMS all different |
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Beautiful silver trumpet by Reily & Storer found in the USA, hallmarked 1835. Very simple folded design but a work of art. |
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The only one I have used for real in both cinema and theatre. It was probably silver plated and I believe it is unique. Beautiful repoussé work and works quite well. |
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I spent years looking for one of these and 3 slightly different ones turned up in Belgium in a box of 7 trumpets. Solid silver but unmarked and of limited use, but very elegant. |
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I found this exquisite folded trumpet quite close to home in Coalville. This must be one of Hawksley's most expensive pieces. In addition to the magnificent scroll grille, the bell is a masterful bit of repousse work. |
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It took me several years to persuade the brocante owner in Paris to sell me this large dome. I wanted it for the grille. Amongst some of the most attractive grilles in the collection , this one stood out. I am very keen to find out about the maker Greiling, clearly shown, but no records seem to exist. |
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Sold to me by a Scottish lady who thought it should be in my collection after finding the trumpet in her attic and me on the internet. I thought that all the beehive ones were plastic, so a metal one was a nice surprise. The price I offered was market value and both parties really happy with the private sale. |
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I waited for 15 years to find one of these. Two appeared as a lot on EBay and disappeared before I bid to buy them. Months later the owner of a Medical Museum offered me the one he didn't want. He had walked to the seller's retail shop and bought the items. |
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A fine pair of Victorian silver ear tubes. These are an unusual shape - quite rare. I think probably made as a one off because they have no marks. |
