Spotlight > Whistle Maker by Country > United Kingdom > Dowler > 020 Dowler Top GSW Round, Special Edition
Whistory
On page 62 of CPWs is pictured an atypical GSW thought to be made by William Dowler and Sons. It looks to be very close to the one pictured in CPWs if not being the actual whistle. What sets it apart from the other Dowler whistles and what makes it similar?
Breaking Down the Similarities to the Dowler Top
To begin with, what sets it apart is because of the top, it is much more like a round whistle top, very unusual for any whistle maker, perhaps mono-typical. So, we thought to present here what appears to be the same whistle for cross reference to a round whistle.
What is Difficult about Identification of the Dowler Top
Further thought is that Dowler did not make round whistles at all. Recent evidence counters this and perhaps the rarity of the Dowler stamp or initials has led to this. This certainly was not an issue with Police whistles for them.
Therefore, this is a close-up look at a master whistle maker circa 1880…
Whistle Classification
| Category | tube shaped |
| Order | George Dowler |
| Type | gsw |
| Class | nickel silver |
| Sub class | round style top cap |
Whistle Archeology
Little is known about this whistle also pictured in Collecting Police whistles and Similar types.
Whistology
Focus is brought to bear in describing the top of this unique GSW.
The length is right at 77mm and weight is 42 grams. You can’t see it here, but the separating wall or partition, extends through the disc with a wide rectangular section typical of Dowler.
Then there is the mouthpiece that is cast and has an interesting ring around it typical of Dowler.
Add to that the casting and the milling and a high-quality whistle is presented circa 1890. But what makes the difference is still the top.
Note the etching around the edge, but more importantly the shape of the dome and the actual knop for the ring, something rarely seen on tube shaped whistles like GSWs and Police, Fire Brigade etc.
Now we can compare this to a similar round whistle top…
And here is a close up of those tops.
Conclusions:
An interesting comparison and another whistle to look for. Also, it adds to the fund of knowledge of a quality whistle maker prior to 1900 in the UK.
Undetermined, but it strongly appears to be Dowler because of the internal components.
TWG
Posted August 26, 2013
Revised September 6, 202
Revised October 11, 2020
Revised February 2, 12, 2021
Revised December 30, 2021
Revised June 12, 2022
Bibliography:
Collecting Police Whistles and Similar Types by Martyn Gilchrist and Simon Topman
The Whistle Gallery reference collection
The Whistle Gallery archives
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