A recent article in the Bell Tower by Rob Roy titled "Donkey Mechanical Tap Bell - Original or Reproduction?"

[BellToyBoy]

A recent article in the American Bell Association's Bell Tower by Rob Roy, titled "Donkey Mechanical Tap Bell - Original or Reproduction?" gave a great description of the differences between the original and the reproduction. I've seen a few of both. I have never seen one with the owl. I have a reproduction, but have yet to add an original to my collection. I don't collect tap bells. I collect bell toys, so why would I be interested in this tap bell? It's because it was made by Gong Bell Manufacturing Co. of East Hampton Connecticut, the largest bell toy maker in Bell Toy Town. This might be the first time East Hampton was called Bell Toy Town. East Hampton has been called Bell Town for over a hundred years.

In an undated illustrated "Price List" of "Bells and Bell Toys" by Gong Bell on page 11 is the "Donkey Call Bell." Toys and bells with patents are marked patented. This tap bell and at least one toy that was later patented is not marked patented. Based on the known patent dates I've put the catalog date around 1877. The illustration for the "Donkey Call Bell" shows the owl cap for the plunger mechanism just as the patent drawing did. Unlike patent drawings, the illustrations for Gong Bell catalogs are very accurate representations of the toys and the bells.

The donkey that shows up on this tap bell is also very similar to the donkey used on a cap gun by J&E Stevens and a bell toy called "WHOA DAR CEASAR" which has a rider on the donkey and when the donkey kicks up it hits the bell. At one time I would have attributed this tap bell design to the work of Charles Bailey as he designed many toys for both Gong Bell and J&E Stevens. Seeing the E. L. Morris patent for the tap bell debunks that assumption, and makes me now wonder who designed the toys.

Life is good, Bob Watrous

[BellToyBoy]

[BellToyBoy]

The May-June edition of The Bell Tower has a follow-up to the article on this tap bell and a photograph of an original with the owl on top, thanks to ABA (The American Bell Association International Inc.) member Bonnie Palmer.