Name/Title
Victory Canary Songster 1920sEntry/Object ID
2025.105.2Description
A Victory brand brass canary songster, from the 1920s. This whistle would have been operated with a rubber tube and bulb attached to the valve at the side of the main pipe. The container at the bottom would be filled with water and when the rubber bulb was squeezed air would be forced through the system, causing the bird's beak to open and close and its tail to flap, along with creating a realistic bird song. The original patent was granted in 1923 to Oscar Schwarzkopf of Victory Sparkler & Specialty Co.Use
Although originally marketed as a children's toy, photographers began attaching them above their camera lenses as a focus point for subjects, especially children. The phrase "watch the birdie!" comes from this practice.Collection
General CollectionLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
Whistle, ToyNomenclature Primary Object Term
Toy, SoundNomenclature Class
ToysNomenclature Category
Category 09: Recreational ObjectsLocation
Location
* Untyped Location
Archives U1-D-4Category
PermanentDate
October 26, 2025Provenance
Provenance Detail
Found ObjectCreated By
Kearney, QuinlanCreate Date
October 26, 2025Updated By
Kearney, QuinlanUpdate Date
October 26, 2025
