It's interesting but I suspected that the "hurdy gurdy" referred to was more likely to be a player-piano, the rolls providing the link with barrel organ but, as that wasn't available until 1895, it's too late to count. Maybe if one could trace the popular music of the time that was likely to be played and danced to, It may shed some light on whether they were suitable for HG. One feels that in the "rough and tumble" times - especially where they were played, something more robust must have been required. It's an interesting topic. Colin Hill ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Cc: "Gary F. Plazyk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 9:16 PM Subject: Re: [HG] Busking, Melissa, and things exotic
> Here's where I found out about the Hurdy Gurdy girls.... > > http://www.hotpipes.com/hggirls2.html > > > Best wishes, > Lara > -------------- Original message -------------- > From: "Gary F. Plazyk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Yes, that's a problem with the name "hurdy gurdy" - it actually is used to > > describe three distinct instruments: > > * our circular-bow keyboard-stopped droning violin > > * a barrel organ, or monkey-grinder organ (usually the crank pumps a bellows, > > and turns a wheel that drives a player-piano-like paper music roll) > > * any of the cranked music boxes (with the tunes encoded on cylinders or disks) > > > > That's an identity issue I have not been able to resolve regarding American > > saloons in the old West - they were called "hurdy gurdy houses" (Mark Twain > > mentions visiting one in Virginia City in his book _Roughing It_), and the > > dancers were called "hurdy gurdy girls", but I can't find a drawing, photo, or > > description of which instrument was used there. > > > > -Gary P. > > > > John Roberts wrote: > > > Ah, but is that even a hurdy-gurdy? Sounds to me like it may be a barrel > > > organ. > > > JR > >
