Huma... something.

It is very difficult not to confuse several early nose flute names, since many manufacturers chose on purpose very similar brands to market their product. Let's make a tour...

Humanatone

This is the name of the original tin nose flute produced by James J. Stivers and the Humanatone Co., N.Y.C. As stated by Stivers himself : « This trade-mark has been continuously used in my business since July 6th, 1903 ». The brand has since been used continuously until now, acquired by Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co. in 1947 to market the new plastic model, and later by Grover-Trophy Music Co.

But, as the Humanatone was soon (and still is) a best-seller, the name Humanatone has oftenly used as a generic name for ny nose flute. To add to the confusion, the tin design as the plastic model were both imitated — when not forged - by other makers.

Humanotone (Humantone, Human-a-tone,...)

As far as I know, this name has never been a nose flute brand. However, one can easily find it written here and there, as Humantone, Human-a-tone, Human-tone, Hum-a-tone.

Humanaphone

The Humanaphone was British, and produced in the 1925. Its a tin nose flute, very similar to the Humanatone, but offered a celluloid version regarded as a "hygienic line".

Humanophone

This nose flute would have been produced in the USA as early as 1920. Harvey Jones, Louisville jug band musician, used to play one : « The Humanophone was purchased at Lyons & Healy music store at Wabash and Jackson, Chicago, soon after Jones arrived in 1920, and when he was looking for novelty instruments. Jones knows of no one else who ever captured the technique of the Humanophone. »
However, I have never seen a picture or an ad for the Humanophone.

Humanophone/Humanaphone

But with those names (Humano- Humana- phone), problems arise : the name Humanophone has been used for other "instruments"!

Indeed, the Humanophone is an instrument invented by George Edward Ives (1845-1894), father of the famous Charles Ives, in New England, and made of a group of humans behind a curtain. Each of them sings a single note and only their heads appear, arrayed like a xylophone.

Logansport Journal (Indiana), Oct. 25, 1887 :

Ives Studies, edited by Philip Lambert, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1997 :

But Humanophone was also for a phonograph brand and Humanaphone a theater play title.
And moreover, most of the newspapers confused this "o" and that "a", even using both spellings in the same article!

So, in some cases, thanks to the context and the publishing date, there is no confusion possible. In 1886, the "instrument" is the Ives' Humanophone choir, no doubt :

Harrisonburg Rockingham Register, Jul. 29, 1886 :

Or later, when the text clearly mentions Ives' instrument (because of the presence of several musicians):

Adams County Press, May 4, 1904 :

Ada Evening News, Nov. 3, 1939 :

Idem for the theater play "Humanaphone" :

Parnell Iowa County Advertiser, May 19, 1910 :

Idem (probably) for the phonograph :

Belleville Telescope, Jan. 23, 1903 :

But, most of the time, it is not possible to know which Humanaphone or Humanophone is mentioned. However, some late articles could possibly mention the nose flute...

Bar Harbor Record, Apr. 16, 1902 (with both spellings!):

Wills Point Chronicle, Nov. 11, 1909 :

The Clintonian, Nov. 18, 1915 :

Winnipeg Free Press, Nov. 28, 1925 :

And sometimes, but rarely, we got it, for sure! (the date, the solo...) :

The Sioux City Journal, Apr. 11, 1922:

Nevada State Journal, Reno, Feb.7, 1935 :

The Twig, Raleigh, Apr. 27, 1943 :

Conclusion ?

Humanatone, despite the misspellings Humantone, Humanotone, Human-a-tone... has always been standing for ... 2 nose flutes : the Stivers' tin one, and the Gretsch's then Grover's plastic one.

Humanaphone was a British tin nose flute, marketed in the 1925's. It was also the name of an early century american theater play. The name has been oftenly misspelled into Humanophone.

Humanophone was an american tin nose flute, marketed at least from 1920. It was also the name of 1886 George Ives' choir instrument, and of a phonograph. The name has been oftenly misspelled into Humanaphone.

And it is a real mess in the newspapers archives :)

Jones' Paramount Charleston Four - Humanophone

In May 1925, the Jones' Paramount Charleston Four recorded 2 titles : Homeward Bound Blues (Paramount 12279A)and Old Steady Roll(Paramount 12279B). The musicians are Harvey Jones, Ernest Tapley (banjo/mandolin), James Turner(banjo madolin) and Eddie Vincent (trombone).

In those recordings, Harvey Jones was supposed to play the nose flute (as stated on several websites). Indeed, Jones was a noseflutist. I looked for these pieces of history for months, until I found the trace of an Ebay auction for the 78rpm, got in touch with the buyer, who gently accepted to send me mp3. Great and beautiful early jazz music, but huge disappontment : no nose flute, but a kazoo !

Homeward Bound Blues :


Old Steady Roll :


However, Harvey Jones (01/27/1902, Versailles, Ky - 1960s, Chicago)) was an entertainer and a noseflutist. In The Jug Bands of Louisville, by Fred Cox, John Randolph and John Harris and compiled by Laurie Wright in his out of stock magazine Storyville, one could read :

« An early member of Earl McDonald's Louisville Jug Band was Harvey Jones. Although Jones had been a drummer in his earlier career, the Jug Band needed pure novelty and Jones danced, sang and played novelty instruments. After the Jug Band played in Chicago in 1920 (therefore, long before they had recorded) Jones set up his own novelty group and played Kelly's Stables, Sherman House, theaters and mainly white clubs. Harvey reported that the Jones So-Different Four recorded TIGER RAG and HOMEWARD BOUND for Paramount. Obviously this is the item issued as Jones Paramount Charleston Four and the title for TIGER RAG was changed to OLD STEADY ROLL. The personnel for the date was: Harvey Jones - leader, Humanophone (a nose-whistle looking like a football nose-guard in which air blown through the nose is recirculated against the vocal chords and is given resonance and timbre in in the mouth), and Jazz Sax, a kazoo in the form of a sax. Ernest Tapley - banjo; James Turner - banjo; Sol Turner (not related) - guitar. »

This is very bizarre : the nose flute is mentioned (but not audible) and the Eddie Vincent's trombone is missing, although very recognizable in the records. Were they 2 versions of those tunes ???



Regarding the nose flute, the article mentions a « Humanophone ». In the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors Journal, Vol. 19-20, the glossary states :

HUMANOPHONE - This and kazoo used by Harvey Jones on a Paramount record in 1925. he same record also had others playing trombone, banjo and mandolin.

And back in Storyville :

« The Humanophone was purchased at Lyons & Healy music store at Wabash and Jackson, Chicago, soon after Jones arrived in 1920, and when he was looking for novelty instruments. Jones knows of no one else who ever captured the technique of the Humanophone. »

This testimony states that the Humanophone existed already in 1920.

And elsewhere in Storyville :

« Under the leadership of Harvey Jones, they organized a novelty band without a jug blower, using the name Jones' So Diffrent Four. Harvey had probably heard Whistler blowing the nose-whistle in Louisville, because he purchased one (trade name: Humanophone) at the Lyons & Healy music store, mastered it, and began featuring it with his So Diffrent Four. »

So, Harvey Jones would have bought a Humanophone after having heard Buford Threlkeld!, eminent honorary degree member of the Nose Flute Hall of Fame !

We propose Harvey Jones for Nose Flute Hall of Fame membership!