Teakettle Whistles "Tea For Two"
By Bob Fitterman
I own a Yamaha Disklavier and a Bremond music box. However, pre-dating those purchases by about a decade, I acquired my first mechanical musical instrument. Being a little slow about these things, it was only in the last few months the light bulb went on and I recognized this object to be a mechanical instrument. How, might you ask did I overlook such an obvious fact? I did say I was a little slow, didn't I.
I had purchased a teapot, and not just any old whistling teapot. This one plays "Tea for Two", or should I say it plays the melody of "Tea for Two". The mechanism is a steam-driven whistle which is housed *inside* the pot. When the lid is in the resting position, a rubber gasket holds the lid tightly closed. As the water heats, the pressure inside builds until the pressure is released through the calliope-like mechanism in the lid.
As I've reviewed past issues of the Digest I've noticed an interest in all sorts of things like this -- Christmas tree ornaments, Fisher-Price toys, etc. -- but haven't seen any mention of this or any other teapot. I'm curious if anyone else out there owns a T42 Kettle manufactured by Metrokane or knows of other musical teapots that get past whistling a single note or chord.
Bob Fitterman
bobf@ilx.com |
(Message sent Tue 25 Feb 1997, 15:23:48 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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