Irish man plays on coffee pot

The coffeepot was a “clown instrument,“ a pennywhistle tucked inside what looked like an old-fashioned coffeepot. The effect is primarily visual; the whistle sounds much the same as it would without the surrounding pot. The instrument was used by clowns, buskers (street musicians) and a few vaudeville performers in USA, England, France. Earliest reference I have found is from 1863. Latest reference to a performance is from 1896. Based on the postcard image and most, but not all, of the written descriptions, the instrument’s look was taken from a common tinware design for a beverage coffeepot which was in use at least before the US Civil War. Beverage coffeepots like this are still being made, many for use by historic re-enactors; those who dress as Civil War soldiers, for example. The best description of the coffeepot was written by Francis O’Neill in his book Irish Minstrels and Musicians (1913) where he describes the activities of Thomas F. Kerrigan, an Irish (uilleann) bagpiper, probably around 1890: “