Harmonica Reeds

[pgill]

Hi Guys,

Hope I am posting this in the right area

I have noticed on many of the messages that Harmonica Plates and Reeds are being found. I have noticed this especially at the civil war sites.
On wednessday I went to a chap here in South Africa that has been doing detecting work for many years, and has put together a museum of his finds.
He has been detecting many of the Boer war sites, and has also found many of these plates/reeds. He has about 30 of these on display, and told me that he has many more not on display.

I would like to know why there are so many found at these war sites? Even across the oceans, in completely different wars. I just found it very strange....

Is it because they are small instruments that are easy to carry around?

Any ideas will be appreciated very much.

God bless
Peter

 

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[EDDE]

cheap easy to carry beside pg when was the last time a soldier said"here hold my piano i need tp reload"......... those boer war sites are up your alley.. go find some camp spots and dig the trash pits and screen the dirt....

 

[JakePhelps]

Lots of people carried them back then, I find them everywhere, some people throw them away but I think they are a great relic...Iv got a question, If you find one reed does that mean someone dropped a harmonica right there and it rotted away and all thats left is a reed? Or do they have like multiple reeds and one just got ripped out or something?

 

[pgill]

Thanks guys for the replies..... What I think is that they are the most practical instruments to carry due to size and weight..... but how many people do you know that can play the harmonica? It seems like every soldier could play the harmonica. Maybe it was just a popular instrument to play in that era, like the guitar is today.

Jake I do think the wood on them rots leaving the plates and reeds behind.... funny how not all the reeds can be found though..

Makes you think hey?

God bless
Peter

 

[pgill]

Thanks CC,

Love to read more of your posts.....Did the craze go that far back? or was there a craze then which died down to come back later? Was the craze world wide? I am pushing for answers a bit, but it is an interesting topic. At least I think so

God bless
Peter