Anya Hawkins's blog : A Brief History of Whistles

Put in the simplest terms, whistles are instruments that depend on airflow to produce a sound, and they work by passing air through the body of the device, usually over a notch of some kind. Whistles can be mouth operated or can be operated using things like bellows or steam - such as from a kettle. Whistles can be as small as a mouth blown item or as large as a church organ or ship’s steam whistle, and many different kinds of whistles have played unique and important roles in history.

The very first whistles were quite primitive, and generally were carved from organic materials such as branches and gourds, and even seashells as evidenced by archaeological finds dating back to prehistoric Egypt. These early whistles were developed over time to eventually become the woodwind instruments we are more familiar with today, such as flutes. With industrialisation and improved manufacturing techniques, whistles have come a long way since their early days.

The earliest whistles

For thousands of years, whistles were made from wood, bone and other organic materials. Small hand carved whistles have been found at historical sites dating back into prehistory, and these whistles would have been relatively quiet by today’s standards. Mainly used for ceremonial purposes or as toys for children, these whistles did not have widespread practical use, though there are a few examples of whistles being deployed for reasons other than ceremony and play.

The more unsavoury side of whistle history has seen whistles being used to ensure slaves kept rhythm while rowing galleys, and during the Crusades to signal to English archers. In later years, the boatswain's pipe became a staple of navies all over the world, known for its iconic and somewhat haunting sound that is synonymous with the age of sail.

Joseph Hudson

No history of whistles would be complete without discussing the contributions of Joseph Hudson, a British man who can certainly be considered a key player in the history of the whistle. The story goes that Hudson, who was already an accomplished inventor and entrepreneur, dropped his violin and upon hearing its discordant sound he realised he could improve the sound and volume of whistles by adding a pea into their chamber.

The company founded by Hudson is still in existence today, albeit under a different name, and they manufacture everything from promotional whistles to specialist orchestral whistles in their Birmingham-based factory. Perhaps Hudson’s most important claim to fame is his designs for the Metropolitan police whistle, which became a standard issue piece of equipment for officers in the late 1800s.

Previously, officers had been using rattles to attract attention, but Scotland Yard was so impressed with Hudson’s whistle that they awarded his company a contract to manufacture thousands of these whistles. Following the success of this whistle in the Met, it became widely used in other British forces. This is just one reason why Hudson’s whistle manufacturing company became the biggest and most famous in the world.

Pea whistles such as the ACME Thunderer are used widely to this day and are known as the original and best pea whistles. Many organisations use them for official purposes, such as Fifa. Referees working with Fifa use ACME Thunderer whistles as their official tool to control games and communicate with players in-game. These famous whistles are also used widely in other sports at professional levels, such as netball.

Modern whistle use

These days, whistles are mainly used in working and sporting environments, though they have an iconic role in certain events such as carnivals. Samba whistles are one of the most popular and widely used musical whistles and their iconic sounds can be heard at carnivals all over the world, though it’s especially popular in Brazil, home of samba dancing.

Whistles are also widely used in hunting, either to communicate with other people on the hunt or as specialist whistles that make animal calls. Animal calls are especially important for outdoor pursuits such as hunting and wildlife photography because they imitate the natural call of certain animal species, encouraging them to come closer and become more visible to the hunter or the photographer. They are also used heavily in orchestral settings for certain pieces of music.