You got to have a hook.
In showbiz as in fishing,
you can't catch the big ones
unless you lure them in with a good hook.
In showbiz as in fishing,
you can't catch the big ones
unless you lure them in with a good hook.
For a dance band it might be
doubling or tripling the instruments
with multiple saxophones, trumpets, and banjos.
doubling or tripling the instruments
with multiple saxophones, trumpets, and banjos.
A band also looks pretty good
dressed in a snappy outfit.
The gals really go for a man in uniform.
dressed in a snappy outfit.
The gals really go for a man in uniform.
Matching hats also make a great statement
about the kind of high-class music
an audience can expect.
about the kind of high-class music
an audience can expect.
And if you've got a sousaphone,
put it up front, bold and brash.
Because who doesn't love a big bass horn?
put it up front, bold and brash.
Because who doesn't love a big bass horn?
When it came to hooks,
the Bell Hop Orchestra
had them all
and more.
the Bell Hop Orchestra
had them all
and more.
Arranged on the small set of photographer's studio,
are eight musicians dressed
in the formal livery of hotel porters
and standing behind a pyramid of musical instruments.
Around the painted head of the trap set's bass drum
are two trumpets, a trombone and sousaphone,
two banjos, a guitar and ukulele,
five saxophones, and two clarinets.
There are also small cone-shaped megaphones
for a vocal quartet.
are eight musicians dressed
in the formal livery of hotel porters
and standing behind a pyramid of musical instruments.
Around the painted head of the trap set's bass drum
are two trumpets, a trombone and sousaphone,
two banjos, a guitar and ukulele,
five saxophones, and two clarinets.
There are also small cone-shaped megaphones
for a vocal quartet.
Written on the bottom
of this large 8" x 10" photo is a date.
of this large 8" x 10" photo is a date.
December 1929
Best Luck
The Bell
Hops
On the back is another note.
Compliments
of
Mr. Frank Carr
(Leader)
Some of the band members
have signed their first names.
The three on the right are readable.
Emmet, Bonner, and Frank.
The man standing far right
is presumably the leader,
Frank Carr.
have signed their first names.
The three on the right are readable.
Emmet, Bonner, and Frank.
The man standing far right
is presumably the leader,
Frank Carr.
The band's name, The Bellhop Orchestra,
seems a bit grand for the number of musicians
as their instrumentation is more suited
for a pop band than a string orchestra.
But it was all part of a novelty band's hook.
seems a bit grand for the number of musicians
as their instrumentation is more suited
for a pop band than a string orchestra.
But it was all part of a novelty band's hook.
Mr. Frank Carr's Bell Hops
took the once well-known occupation
of a hotel steward, or bell hop,
to add a dashing brio to their band's image.
Six years earlier in 1923
the Daily Republican newspaper of Monongahela, PA
printed a flashier picture of a similar pop band,
the Yerkes Bell Hop Orchestra,
who were appearing at a dance
put on by the Elks Club at the State Armory.
took the once well-known occupation
of a hotel steward, or bell hop,
to add a dashing brio to their band's image.
Six years earlier in 1923
the Daily Republican newspaper of Monongahela, PA
printed a flashier picture of a similar pop band,
the Yerkes Bell Hop Orchestra,
who were appearing at a dance
put on by the Elks Club at the State Armory.
 |
| Monongahela PA Daily Republican 27 September 1923 |
 |
| Wilkes Barre PA Times Leader 06 October 1928 |
Pennsylvania seemed overwhelmed with a dance craze. Club rooms, church halls, school gymnasiums, and civic armories around the state advertised weekly dances, tickets for ladies always discounted. These dances fed a mania driven by the infectious syncopated beat of jazz bands competing for audiences and challenging each other to come up with novel music or clever productions. Bell hop caps were really no different than cowboy hats. Catching the attention of fans who bought tickets was the ultimate goal.
 | ||||||
| Mount Carmel PA Item 17 October 1931 |
 |
| Hazelton PA Plain Speaker 11 May 1943 |
The Bell Hops added two more musicians in the 1930s and continued playing at dances around Pennsylvanian and the northeast region, but disappeared from newspaper ads around 1935.
Frank Carr, born in 1899, listed Laborer, Coal as his occupation in the census records for 1920, 1930, and 1940. Though he was in his 40s and single when the US entered WW2, he was drafted and assigned to one of the army bands. In 1943 the Hazelton, PA Plain Speaker reported that he took part in a mass band concert in a large unnamed Australian city where "the attendance was so large, that several hundred people were forced to stand outside the municipal building in order to hear the program."
Probably almost as thrilling as a gig by the Bell Hops.
* * *
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where novelty is rule number one.
where novelty is rule number one.
6 comments:
Oh how enjoyable...and I can imagine listening to the cheerful music of these bands! I wonder what the difference is from band to orchestra? You are certainly the person to ask! Thanks for regularly sharing your great sepia photos and stories of musicians
I knew you'd have a great post. Who knew that Bell Hops would have an orchestra. Those were the days.
As usual a fascinating post. I wonder if any of them were actually bellhops? Or whether the original band consisted of bellhops? Or was it just that bellhops wore those smart uniforms and cute little hats.
This photo is a real find! I was quite taken with the bass drum because the image reminds me of northeastern Pennsylvania, where my Blakeslee ancestors lived. Coal country was booming in those days, and what better above-ground entertainment than a night of dancing to a big band? Excellent post and historical background on the band.
Frank Carr was my great uncle.
Frank Carr was my great uncle
Post a Comment