Very cool, the cigar and cigarette holder is a new one to me ?

Did Walberg's "flute type instrument" pre-date Joe Thompson's Flutophone?

Yes it does. Flutophone was mid 1940s. The first mass produced accepted/used early learning band recorder was around the same time as W&A and it was called a Saxette(pictured below). It was metal and nickel plated. Then there were 2 other mass produced plastic band recorder designs( Swanson -Tonette and the Fichhorn- song flute that were used before the Flutophone was invented and used as the new standard in many schools. Joe was known for improving on an existing/or even his own design idea that I've found in some of his 43 patents filed. Some are unique to Joes own mind/genius.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and the pictures of the intro to music instruments.

The W&A smoker's attachment for a drum set is something I never saw before. I was a smoker throughout my gigging career. Smoking while playing on a gig--or even during practice--was something I never did. I'm very thankful that I quit smoking as a retirement present to myself and my familty. As far as I know, there is not a Smokers Anonymous organization that hands out tokens of tobacco free achievements. If there were such an organization, they'd issue me a seven year token. I had tried unsuccesfully many times to quit the nasty habit (addiction). Finally, a prescription for Chantix worked for me within a 90 day period. I haven't had a puff in over seven years. I will not be one of those reformed smokers crusaders who is obnoxious toward smokers. However, now the smell of it --even outside--is very unpleasant. I can also recognize smokers by the smell that they carry around on their clothes. I must have reeked of it for more than half of my life.

Jeremy - Would the unique lugs and tension rods for Big Blue have been patented by W&A? I've never seen them used anywhere else.

John

Hey... good stuff. In case you've never looked, please check out google.com/books. This is NOT a normal google search. I am often surprised at what I find using google books that would never show on a normal google.com search.

Check out this link, which is from 1922 'The Music Trades'. Mr. Bernard Walberg was expecting a good year in 1923!

https://books.google.com/books?id=7JZQAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA73&dq=walberg+auge&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5eGZVbgbhfGwBeuoqrgJ&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Jim

Here's another from the History of Worchester and Its People 1926.

https://books.google.com/books?id=p3VKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA677&dq=walberg+auge&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jOOZVd_DGoOeNuusgMgO&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=walberg%20auge&f=false