Whistory
Our subject is high dome scout whistles made by Hudson, the creator of Acme/Emca whistles. More particularly we are focusing on the earliest scouts of 1909 to 1922 and specifically high domed scout whistles.
Why focus on the top caps we are calling ‘high dome’?
The high domed Hudson boy scouts, although stamped plainly for the boy scouts and additionally stamped for certain distributors, are not found in any catalogs of the day. Surprisingly there are no scout whistles advertised in their 1910 catalog at all. Our catalog has the 244 Barr St address, but no actual date.
In their anniversary booklet 1870 to 1914, no scout whistles sporting two-piece pillar tops are in the Showroom display, nor ‘simple domed’ Emca tops.
In a French catalog circa 1920, scout whistles are not advertised. Additionally, in a later but undated catalog, scout whistles and products are listed on 4 pages, including scout products.
Lastly in a 1935 catalog 4 pages were devoted to scout whistles, but products were pulled back out.
Chronology of High Dome Scout Whistles
Why survey the chronology of scout whistles advertised? Because in the years since initiating scout whistles circa 1909 through 1935, no high dome whistles are found.
When were these models manufactured? Although two-piece pillar tops were synonymous with tube shaped scout whistles circa 1909, they weren’t advertised. Within an undated catalog, they burst on the scene along with step caps, two-piece ringed tops, and round knop tops.
It seems that they didn’t come into their own until the 1935 catalog, wherein lies the problem.
Missing entirely from the picture are high dome scout whistles. In fact, they were never advertised. Neither was a patent or registration filed.
Whistle Classification
| Category | Tube Shaped |
| Order | Hudson |
| Type | Scout |
| Class | brass plated brass oxidized brass |
| Sub class | high dome |
Whistle Archeology
Page 5 – 1935 Acme catalog featuring various tops.
Page 6 features Emca tops, but no high domed top caps.
Known stamps
The boy scouts
The boy scouts – Bukta
The boy scouts A.W. Gamage Ltd. London
Patent stamps
Three of the four whistles here at the Whistle Gallery reference collection have Patent stamped on the bodies.
Considering that the scouting movement started in 1909, the closest patent filed for a tube shaped whistle would be patent 19700 in the year 1898 for the diaphragm, which would have lasted until 1912 ( 14 years )
Gilchrist states on page 58 of More Whistles that the discs would be stamped ‘J Hudson & Co’, however none are.
Perhaps Hudson used tubes stamped for the 1909 pillar top patent ( 540164 ) and used these different tops ?
Models
Tube shaped whistles came in at least 5 sizes
2 ¼ inch
2 ½ inch
2 ¾ inch
3 inch
3 5/8 inch
Catalogs ( dates verified )
1910 Hudson
1935 Hudson
Whistology
The boy scout & distributers
Various high domed scout whistles.
The following picture compares three tops.
The left one has a lower profile simple dome on an early Emca ‘like’ scout, smallest model
The middle one is an Emca mid-sized model with a more standardized dome
The far right is a view of the high dome model ( typical )
Conclusions:
The high domed scouts are an anomaly. They were production whistles, and this is a first time recording for examination and studies. Only the scout whistles have them. The dome is much higher than the typically lower profile domes of comparative scouts and EMCA’s of the same period.
Whether they are rare, or just not recorded is unknown.
TWG
First Printing October 25, 2023
Edited June 03, 2024
Posted June 13, 2024
Bibliography:
The Whistle Gallery Reference Collection
Collecting Police Whistles and Similar Types – Gilchrist and Topman
More Whistles – Gilchrist
1910 Hudson whistle catalog
1935 Hudson whistle catalog
French Hudson catalog
Unknown dated Hudson catalog
