Name/Title
Emca City Whistle on leather strap c1930 - 1945Entry/Object ID
99Description
Nickel plated whistle with mouth piece and top loop, with leather button strap, marked "The Emca City Whistle Made in England"Use
To raise the alarm in an emergencyContext
Whistles with top loops and mouthpieces of this general design are called general service whistles, and are often automatically assumed to be for police use. Though such whistles were adopted by the UK police from the 1880s onwards, they were also used by other organisations, both private and public, as well as by individuals. This one was made by the company of J. Hudson and Co. who are credited with supplying the first whistles to the Metropolitan Police in 1884. The company registered "The Emca" as a trademark for an inexpensive range in 1922, the name deriving from another of their trademarks, "The Acme", but backwards. The Emca range was produced until the mid 1940s (Gilchrist and Topman 1998 page 48).
This particular whistle is of a style that dates from the 1930s and is based on the more well known "Acme City". It may not have been for police use as it does not have a chain but a leather strap with a button loop. Such straps are usually found on military whistles, though these are usually made to more expensive designs and have the date of manufacture on them. However huge numbers of whistles were required before and during the Second World War which may explain the use of this design, for military use.