An Illustrated History of the Foofoo Valve

[SifuPhil]

The Foofoo valve has been an essential part of the Kiwi world since its invention in 1864 by Miles Foodini, a New Zealand entrepreneur. This first version was large and unwieldy, but it produced the desired control of the then-abundant Foofoo.




"Don't Bust Your Foofoo Valve!"

New Zealand farmers, laborers and military personnel have used this phrase for hundreds of years in such expressions as "Don’t bust your foo-foo valve", or "If you do that you’ll blow your foo-foo valve", when someone is trying to lift a weight or do a heavy physical task which might cause physical strain. This is due to the fact that the original Foofoo Valve of 1864 exploded on November 12, 1874 when it was subjected to too much strain from a large flow of Foofoo.

Foofoo, Chinese Style

A newer version of the Foofoo Valve was conceived and manufactured by Chung-Ling Foo of the Peking Foos in 1904. This model, the very first ever created in China, was a bit more ornate than its American cousin ...



Named "T'ai-Chi Foo-Foo" ("Supreme Ultimate Foo-Foo"), the valve took 5 muscular men to operate and often broke just when the Foofoo was at its worst. This style of Foofoo valve is still in use today, albeit with plastic substituted for the brass and licensed for export to America only.

The Foofoo valve underwent dozens of revisions and improvements over the years, being first electrified in 1922 and then streamlined and weaponized for use in World War II ...



Foofoo Valves and the Space Age

The current status of the Foofoo Valve is impressive and forward-looking: an atomic-powered version is planned to be carried on the 2016 Dream Chaser shuttle flight from Kennedy Space Center. One of the flight crew, Payload Specialist Gorge Foosamos, will be responsible for the maintenance and deployment of this wonder of modern science, in the hopes that all mankind will benefit from having this extraterrestrial Foofoo Valve orbiting the Earth.

 

[Falcon]

Sure be handy to have one around the house. Do they make one just a tiny bit smaller?

 

[Pappy]

I've got the pocket model. When I squeeze it, it goes poopoo.

 

[Falcon]

Thanks Pappy. Does Radio Shack carry them ?

 

[That Guy]

And so the arrival of "Phooey!"

 

[Jackie22]

ahhh, the foofoo valve comes to America, one in every home....are they renewable energy? We can start a factory....can we get a grant?

 

[Old Hipster]

Phil I am sitting here dumbfounded..

My great great grandfather Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann, who is often credited with the invention of the harmonica and sometimes the accordion, it's a long confusing and boring story. But in a nutshell. There is a persistent legend that Buschmann invented the harmonica and the accordion but this cannot be substantiated. But we don't care.

Grandpa states in a letter from 1828 that he had just invented a couple of new musical instruments but the manufacture of harmonicas had begun some years previously in Vienna: There is documentary evidence that harmonicas were being sold in Vienna in 1825. I've seen that document and the date is smudged.

And the accordion, probably the average joe isn't aware of it, but part of what gives an accordion it's melodious sounds, and hey come on who doesn't love the soothing rhythm of an accordion. Anyway Das Reizbare Namby Pamby Ventil (or FooFoo Valve) is responsible for that noise. It lets air escape at just the right time. So we are sure that's where Grandpa got the original idea and thought it would work great on a locomotive boiler and it could play a polka at the same time.


There was one trial run with a locomotive fitted with an experimental model of Das Reizbare Namby Pamby Ventil

Well history can never take the harmonica or accordion away from our family.

 

[Warrigal]

As an aside, in my family it was the poofle valve that was in danger of busting and is "mind you don't bust your poofle valve".
Not wanting to do myself damage, I've always avoided exerting myself too much.

 

[Old Hipster]

We said "don't have a conniption fit"..Ah memories, I can still hear my Grandma saying that.

And in my husband's family it was, if somebody got really upset....."Don't get a red ass over it"

Oh and "don't blow a gasket" which would of course relates directly to a FooFoo Valve.

 

[SifuPhil]

Hipster, thank you for that fascinating family history. I never in a thousand years would have thought that Das Reizbare Namby Pamby Ventil was actually the forerunner of the Victorian Foofoo Valve.

I've done a thorough search on Ancestry.com and, while I found 1,256 separate lineages for "Foofoo" or some variation thereof, I was unable to establish a concrete link between any of them and the modern-day valve.

I wonder if the designers of the Dream Chaser know about that catastrophic railway disaster? Perhaps one of us should notify them?

Warri, that's another aspect of Foofoo valves that I haven't explored yet - the numerous variations in different countries. Because of your comment I did a quick search on Google and came up with some amazing national variations -

The African Foofoo Valve (Bosbefok Boer, or "Crazy Farmer") -



The Japanese Foofoo Valve (Shini Sou, or "Seems Like I'm Going To Die") -



... and even an ancient Maori model (Chipala Caberra or "Whistling Duck's Head") -

 

[Old Hipster]

Hipster, thank you for that fascinating family history. I never in a thousand years would ha

I've done a thorough search on Ancestry.com and, while I found 1,256 separate lineages for "Foofoo" or some variation thereof, I was unable to establish a concrete link between any of them and the modern-day valve.

I wonder if the designers of the Dream Chaser know about that catastrophic railway disaster? Perhaps one of us should notify them?

Phil, funny you should mention that, as long as they don't try to play a polka they should be A-OK.

There are various sizes and varieties of the valve, yes sir you have really done your research.

I don't like to toot the family horn, so to speak, but we strongly believe that Grandpa Fred also was very instrumental in the development of the modern day Kazoo.

And also the Saxophone would just be a big bent horn if not for the addition of Die Wirklich Kleine FooFoo-Ventile (the really small FooFoo valves).

The African Crazy Farmer is eerily reminiscent of The Wickerman, which has nothing to do with valves, but just sayin'.

 

[Diwundrin]

My family have been blowing Foofoo valves here since at least the 1890s. Some people, like Warri, just don't pronounce it right!

A very fine dissertation on it's history Phil. EXCEPT... fancy crediting the Kiwis with inventing it! aaaaaagh! They already pinch everything we do, we don't need you aiding and abetting them at it.

 

[SifuPhil]

My family have been blowing Foofoo valves here since at least the 1890s. Some people, like Warri, just don't pronounce it right!

I just took her comment as being due to yet another regional variation.

A very fine dissertation on it's history Phil. EXCEPT... fancy crediting the Kiwis with inventing it! aaaaaagh! They already pinch everything we do, we don't need you aiding and abetting them at it.

Well, I try to be honest when it comes to research - I publish it as I find it, and try not to play the game of geopolitics.