DESIGN ARCHIVE: ACME WHISTLES

Design Archive: Acme Whistles

Est. 1884

Location: Birmingham (UK)

Acme Whistles are the world's largest and most famous producer of whistles. Located in the Jewellery Quarter district of Birmingham, England, they continue to this day to design, innovate and manufacture all of their extensive range of whistles from their factory. Acme also has a significant design archive collection, representing the history of whistle manufacturing from its early beginnings to the present day.

Whistles were at one time the most common way of communicating at a distance, and as such many variations were designed to accommodate the needs of a wide variety of people. Unique designs have been developed by Acme over the years to best service Policemen, traffic cops, train guards, scouts, shepherds, bird callers, hunters, soldiers, hailers of taxicabs and of course sports referees. As a result the name of Acme is synonymous with many of these professions, and many more besides, as the originators of some of the best whistles (past and present) available.

The origins of the company reach back to 1884 when Joseph Hudson, its founder, won a competition set by the London Metropolitan Police to replace the force’s then very cumbersome and heavy wooden rattles with a better alternative. Joseph’s new cylinder shaped whistle was so effective that he won the competition and as a result secured an order for 7,000 whistles at eleven shillings a dozen (55p). Within two years 21,000 whistles had been ordered and delivered.

Police forces and other professions from around the world were soon ordering whistles from Joseph too and the rest, as they say, is history. As a result of their rapid success the whistle factory moved from the original Birmingham end-terrace workshop to several factories in Barr Street – where they still remain today. Sales of the ‘Metropolitan’ whistles alone exceeded 45 million to over 120 national forces, whilst whistle production to date is well in excess of 250 million units.

Over 130 years Acme has developed and patented over 40 different whistle designs, including the Metropolitan Police Whistle, the Acme Thunderer, the Acme Siren, the Silent Dog Whistle, the Scout Whistle, the Life Jacket Watersafe Whistle and the Tornado. They also made and supplied the original stock of Thunderers for officers and senior ratings of the ill-fated Titanic ocean liner. For most England football fans their finest hour was signalled with the words "they think it's all over..." but it was an Acme Thunderer used by Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst which brought the 1966 World Cup final to an end. The whistle now resides in a football museum in Switzerland. 

Many people collect whistles, but few have the breadth and range that Acme has in it’s own design archives. Luckily the Hudson family were meticulous archivists and as a result Acme still holds an enviable historical record of the design and development of the whistle industry; including early ledgers, patents, advertisements, prototypes, production pieces and not to forget the actual factory itself – a beautiful listed building situated in Birmingham’s Victorian Jewellery Quarter.

The business passed down three generations of the Hudson family, with new ideas, innovations and resultant designs continually being developed through the decades. The current CEO Simon Topman took over Acme in 1982 and the company continues to prosper, with profits growing year on year. He shares the same passion for design, manufacture and (lucky for us) design archiving and as a result is possibly 'the world's leading expert on whistles'.

Whistle development never stops at Acme and a new sports whistle, a new dog whistle and a new animal sound effect are recent developments now on the market alongside older classic designs. Acme Whistles will also be supplying all the whistles required for referees and officials at the London Olympics 2012. Over recent years Acme has also increased its export turnover to include 119 countries, with sales now in the millions to every corner of the globe.

Some things never change though and Joseph Hudson’s insistence that every whistle produced is fully tested is a tradition still practiced at the factory, ensuring the quality and performance of every item produced.

Many thanks to Simon Topman, CEO of Acme Whistles, for sharing these exclusive insights along with allowing Obsessionistas unique access to the company's historical archive material.

Visit the Acme Whistles website here

All images © Obsessionistas - with kind permission from Acme Whistles