Ah yes, the drum major. He was one of many such men in a long tradition of band leaders. A drum major was a "drum major" from being originally chosen from among the band's best drummers, and became their marching leader.
He carried a large baton, also known as a mace, to give signals and commands, indicate the beat and tempo of the music, and, sometimes, other impressive gestures or movements.
In the late 1800s, cigar smokers could buy a cigar brand named "Drum Major". The brand's labels would feature a picture of a drum major, and it sometimes was a female drum major. A female drum major?
In 1890, a boy won a prize at a county fair, and gave it to his girlfriend. It was a pair of figurines in the form of drum majors -- a boy and a girl. Somebody saw what a girl might be able to do as well as a boy, and share doing with him
Photos of a parade in Denver, very early 1900s, include one of a lady on a horse in front of a marching band. She is identified as possibly being a drum majorette. That's the often-used name for a female drum major, and some drum majors have performed their duties on horseback. That same parade did also have an all-female marching band, dressed in ankle-length dresses. There were a few such bands around that time, and they'd be sure to include lady drum majors.
An organization called "Modern Woodmen of America" had some very popular male marching groups. In 1900, one of these groups posed for pictures. Some children were present. One of the girls stood by the head of the group holding a small broom like a baton, and posed like a drum major. Was she imitating what she'd already seen?
Around 1903, early movie show posters, and related post cards, featured a lady drum major. This may have simply been an advertising gimmick, but advertising is meant to influence people.
Girls and ladies were already participating in marching groups. Co-ed marching groups and bands would be slow becoming more common, but ladies were having opportunities to march in parades and other public events.
Bands had been growing both in numbers and popularity, and could be found just about anywhere playing and marching in parades. Even small communities had at least ten or a dozen musicians who could get together as a band, and you could find them marching with their very own drum major leading them. Drum majors were turning up on magazine covers, and that included the July 1916 issue of Ladies Home Journal. Ladies Home Journal? Ladies were very much their admirers, and they could have been, for some ladies, a role model.
Being part of a band was being promoted as a good and worthwhile activity, and the band was advertised as the "gang" for boys to belong to. They'd need leadership, wouldn't they? Don't think for a minute that the girls and ladies would miss that opportunity to show something else they could do. Times were changing.
In 1927, Ed Clark, who went on to start a baton-manufacturing company, turned a pool cue into a baton for his daughter. Kitty Clark was a drum major with the Elkhart High School band. Girl drum majors had definitely arrived. They'd be known as drum majors, then the more "feminine" drum majorettes, then simply as majorettes.. All those terms are still in use, and, as well, they've been called drum major girls, baton twirlers, twirlers, or baton girls. For some people, "drum majorettes" is still the preferred term, and some shorten it to "drummies".
Around the time Ed Clark made Kitty's baton, or just shortly after, you're where a band is lining up for a parade. The band's drum major hasn't arrived. They'd need a replacement. But who? You hear someone suggesting Mabel be asked to take his place. She knew how to be a drum major. Somebody persuades Mabel to lead the band, which she does a bit reluctantly. What you see her do next makes history.
