A ‘Bird’ was Used to Make Children Sit Still!

A ‘Bird’ was Used to Make Children Sit Still!

This story was originally published in May 2014.

In the 1920s, a brass birdie was often used by photographers to grab the attention of children during a portrait session and make them stay still throughout. The toy bird would be held by an assistant or a parent. A rubber hose and squeeze bulb were connected to the short length of open brass tubing. The brass base separated into two halves so the bottom of the base could be filled with water. Squeezing the rubber bulb caused the bird to ‘whistle’ . That is how, the bird drew children’s attention and the phrase “watch the birdie” was born.