Happy Birthday!

On 9/4/1817
in Morgenroethe, Germany:

The birth of Charles Zimmermann

who, in 1881, patented then promoted & mass-manufactured the "Autoharp." He had nothing to with inventing it. Seems he stole the idea from a German guy yclept Karl A Gütter who'd patented the "Volkszither" in England. In the fullness of those gentler, slower-paced days, Zimmermann was run over by a horse-drawn street car & died 10/20/1898.

In addition, it must be accepted that Zimmermann did not compose "Anchors Aweigh;" it was actually Zimmermann that did.
Later on, he did not shorten his name and become a world-famous and loved singer. That was Ethel.

[Thanx but no blame: Mary Lou Orthey of Autoharp Quarterly & Orthey Instruments]

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