This particular photograph from my collection is of Mr. Al Ward, playing a large 4.5 Deagan Xylophone Marimba (most likely a model #4726) which is quite similar to the one employed by the Harley Sadler Tent Show.

I know precious little about Mr. Ward, other than the fact that he was half of a duo that billed themselves as "Janigan and Ward", and that the duo appeared in a presentation entitled; "Xylophone Novelties". As always, if you have any information about Mr. Ward, or Mr. Janigan, or any other vintage percussionist, please do not hesitate to leave said information in our Guestbook.

This photograph sports some interesting ink scribble on the back of it, but in who's hand it is written, I know not. Perhaps it was the owner of the local vaudeville theatre, perhaps it was Mr. Janigan, perhaps it was Al Ward who wrote it. In any case, the scribble poses an interesting question. If one who plays the xylophone is a Xylophonist, then what do we call someone who plays the marimba? On the back of this photograph, someone has written "Al Ward - Marimlist". As an afterthought, an arrow was added in between the second "m" and the "l", and "BA" was scrawled in pencil. It now reads; "Al Ward - Marimbalist". Hmmm...