Whistle Catalogs
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Finding whistle catalogs has always been a challenge. However, using them for whistle research is a must. This folder is designed to post advertisements, manufacturers catalogs and distributer catalog pages.
It takes years to accumulate books and then an even harder battle to accumulate catalogs ( as well as patent pages ). These can be subdivided into two sections. Single pages and multi-page booklets/pamphlets. There are major distributers, manufacturers/distributers and then again specific manufacturers like Hudson.
However, ANY manufacturer could distribute another makers product. Further, even among the confusion is the actual model numbers given. Granted the same whistle can have a different model number depending on who is distributing it. Also, different makers copied other makers models. Another frustration is when a catalog is published with old pictures of whistles not made any longer.
Is it worth the trouble? Yes, think of this: There may be a dozen whistles known by a maker, but then a catalog surfaces with another dozen that some of yours match up to and others pictured not even seen yet. They can be a wealth of knowledge.
The downside? Whistle collectors do not share catalog pages easily. Take for example Alfred DeCourcy, a well know maker for many years. There are catalogs out there, but none seen. The same can be said for B. Lilly and others.
Simply put, the following are advertising pictures and descriptions of whistles and products surrounding the manufacturer. So much can be learned about a whistle maker from catalogs that we have decided to devote a full section here. We hope to receive more from various sources, including those sent in from our readers, that we will publish for everyone to learn from.
To start, there are several catalogs that we have collected over the years. Reading them can reveal the makers location, and dating becomes a bit more obvious. However, sometimes a manufacturer used older pictures or drawings for years, so one must be cautious. Along with catalogs were trade journals, registrations per country and patent info — all quite revealing. Google Search is easy for patents in the USA, but the UK and other european records remain difficult to navigate. As we receive these records we will post them.
Often times the model numbers will be listed or at least one number and others referred to, which tells us what to look for. There are whistles that are listed in catalogs that have not been seen yet. An example would be the siren made by Alfred DeCourcy. (Seen below.) We would never have known that this whistle ( actually a siren I know, but made by a whistle manufacturer 🙂 existed if not for this catalog excerpt. When it appeared it was quickly identified. It would seem best to hoard such information to save any whistles found for yourself, but we believe that the more that is known the more that will come out! Please join us in adding to this section, credit is always given to the donors. Any leads will be followed up too.
Examples of Whistle Catalogs
