Edwards Garment history

In 1907, Harry Richardson opened a sheet metal workshop in this building.

The first production run of kazoos occurred in 1912.

In 1913 he separated from Emil Sorg and teamed up with Harry Richardson who owned a big metal factory.

The kazoo didn’t arrive until 1915, when Emil Sorg and Michael McIntyre brought their wooden kazoo to Richardson and asked if he could manufacture a metal version.

In 1919, McIntyre purchased Sorg’s interests and reapplied for the expiring patent.

It had its breakthrough in the 1920’s but none of the great artists gave the kazoo a chance.

Three years later, in 1922, McIntyre bought out Richardson and became the sole owner of the Kazoo Company in Eden.

Jesse Fuller’s 1962 San Francisco Bay Blues, played by Tracy Newman in the video clip above, features a kazoo solo.

Tracy Newman performs “San Francisco Bay Blues” on kazoo and guitar, 1965, at Brooklyn College.

In 1985, the company was sold to Brimms Inc., a local family business run by the father and son team of Robert and David Berghash.

Also the world wide famous rock/blues artist Eric Clapton uses the kazoo on his cover version of "San Francisco Bay Blues" taken from his "Unplugged" record from 1991.

In 2005, Karen Smith, a local Eden resident who was interested in preserving the Kazoo presence in the community, purchased the gift shop inventory and business from Claddagh and leased space from sasi for her new Kazoo Boutique.

Claddagh sold their interest in the property to sasi in 2006.

In 2007, sasi procured grants from the Eden Community Foundation and the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning to renovate the museum repair the factory roof and replace the deteriorating exterior doors, gutters and exterior fascia.

In 2011, the audience of BBC in Royal Albert Hall performed Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries and the Dambusters March on kazoos, setting a world record for the largest kazoo ensemble: 5,190 kazooists.

Jordan, Meredith (2015). “Kazoo Factory Tunes In to Beaufort County.” Bluffton Today.

As of 2021, sasi continues to operate the factory, while Smith runs the boutique and museum.