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Boys will be boys....but not in this 1920 Searcy High School yearbook.

By Barbara S. Duncan

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

January 04, 2013 10:57 PM

We just published a blog about the girls Domestic Science Classes (home economics) in the 1920's yearbook from Searcy AR High School. Don Thompson has now provided a picture of the guys. Look at these perfect gentlemen. I see no boyish pranks going on. They even have on neck ties! Shoes are interesting with white socks prevailing. The guy in the front seems to be more upper-class with some sort of sock? Is that what a knicker was? The building is also interesting. Whereas the girls had wallpaper in the room, this room is stark. If you are getting up in years, you will remember the old radiators for heat. I have never seen bench desks like those, however. That has to be the chalkboard with erasers on the side wall.

Now, do not go away until you read about the Wilsonian Banquet. Language has definitely changed!

Wilsonian Literary Group

Searcy High School 1920

Re-Blog

Zobo Music Instrument / Ear Trumpet

Although this appears to be an ear trumpet, it is called Zobo musical instrument (However, some often used it as an Ear Trumpet). Arguably W. H. Frost or Alabama Vest invented the Kazoo in 1850s, but Frost was first in patenting it. Kazoo was mass produced in 1852. In 1895 W .H. Frost invented this unique musical instrument he christened Zobo and also patented it. Instrument was a quality brass instrument that anyone could play by singing or speaking into it and expanded into a unique resonating sound. The Zobo quickly became a popular instrument for amusement, bands, churches, entertainers, parades and orchestras. This instrument transformed the reed instruments (i.e. saxophone and piccolo) into a new dimension of musical sound that any one could play without experience or training.

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Wayne Johnson

Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper REALTORS® - San Antonio, TX

San Antonio REALTOR, San Antonio Homes For Sale

Barbara-I'm old enough to remember the clanking radiators that did not seem to generate enough heat to really warm the school rooms well enough. That Wilsonian language is pretty flowery isn't it?

Jan 04, 2013 11:11 PM

Eric Crane -- Your Full Service, Discount Fee Realtor®

DPR Realty LLC - Gilbert, AZ

Greater Metro Phoenix Arizona

Hi, Barbara -- historical photos are so interesting! It was also interesting to see how much World War One influenced the language and description underneath the photo. Have a great weekend!

Jan 04, 2013 11:31 PM

Wika Hutchinson

Eugene, OR

Broker, CRIS, SFR, CDPE

I love looking at old, historic pictures. I am amazed at how the picture above was in such good condition and tells a great story.

Don Thompson

Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

I had to look up the Zobo. I can understand why it was selected. One plays it by speaking or singing into it.

Jan 04, 2013 11:52 PM

Suesan Jenifer Therriault

JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team - Blakeslee, PA

"Inspecting every purchase as if it were my own".

Wow, can you imagine the children of today in such a setting? It's hard to get them to tuck their shirts in let alone wear a jacket or tie.

Jan 05, 2013 02:36 AM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Wayne, I don't remember the radiators being noisy. Perhaps because you couldn't hear it for the noise of kids.

Eric, the language was quite flowery.

Wika, I love the old pictures too. The pictures are history!

Don, I had never heard of a zobo either. I'm glad you looked it up. Sounds as if it would be easy to play and since I can't play anything else, it might need to be my musical instrument. We will see if Anita asks Bob if he knows what one is. I think I will go see if there is one on ebay.

Suesan, you are right. Kids today are not so disciplined. And can you imagine how the kids would make fun of the guys with the shoes and white socks?

Jan 05, 2013 06:44 AM

Anonymous

Anita Fuller

Two of the young men in the Wilsonian club became Methodist ministers: Henry Goodloe and Paul Galloway. I THINK Galloway became a Methodist Bishop.....Henry Goodloe was "our" (Bob and I) minister at First Methodist, Searcy many years ago. Now that I think about it, he was the minister who married us, along with Rev. Alvin Murray. That would have been l960.

Jan 05, 2013 11:08 PM

Debbie Wantulok

Just look at those jackets and haircuts. Whoohoo!

I wonder if everyone reported like that or if this was a special talent.

Ms. Anita...We read the article about your husband in the paper...congratulations!

Isn't it something how names sound so familiar from area to area? I knew people with some of those names but they were obviously not the same people.

Thanks, Mr. Don, I had no idea what a Zobo was until now! I feel educated!

Jan 06, 2013 10:51 AM

Anita, you know SO many people! You really DO need to write a column in the paper. Do you have your speech ready for the induction?

Debbie, I checked ebay for a Zobo and found none. Wonder what happened to these little musical wonders?

Jan 06, 2013 08:59 PM

Boys will be boys....but not in this 1920 Searcy High School yearbook.

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Zobo Music Instrument / Ear Trumpet

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