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This Saturday was Tom Stacks's 125th birthday. Stacks was the drummer, vocalist, and sound effects man for most of Harry Reser's bands, and can be heard on many of his records from 1925-1936, when he tragically passed away in a fire.
I've seen several photos of Reser's orchestras during the 1920s and 1930s, some of which the band is wearing eskimo costumes. I was wondering if anyone would happen to know if Tom Stacks is present in any of the lineup pictures. I would not be surprised if this was information that could be found in "The Great Harry Reser" by W. W. Triggs. I don't have a copy yet, but am looking for one. I am also trying to figure out if Stacks can be seen in the Vitaphone short of Reser's Eskimos in 1936 -- it would have had to have been recorded very early that year, as Stacks died February 1936 in the fire. As there are very few images of Stacks himself on the internet (which is at present my only source and a poor one at that), and I know very little about this topic yet, it is hard for me to be certain as to whether he can be seen in all, any, or some of these instances. At present, I know only of one photo of Stacks on the internet, although there used to be a second photo that apparently was him that was taken down (?) perhaps a few months ago.
Any information (or recommendations for sources to consult) would be useful. It is mostly just my curiosity that prompts my queries, but I would love to do something bigger with the information at a later time... Maybe write a paper on Stacks for my Music History & Appreciation paper?
