...Baron
von Richthofen verified that he tried to kill Tomcha.
His obsession with the gypsy would prove to be his
downfall.. |
...The
Archduke who stole Tomcha
from the Baron. He would soon
be abandoned as well. |
|
 ...
. . |
...These
photos of Tomcha were found in the cockpit of the
Baron von Richthofen's Fokker the day it was brought
down. |
|
British
troops discover the bodies of Tomcha & Vlasch in a
collapsed church in Krakow....
|
The
British
"tommies"
who dug them out.
|
|
This
is the only known photo
of Vlasch's mother, Alicia.
|
Tomcha & Vlasch a few weeks before
their
untimely demise.
|
Tomcha's
gypsy father, Casimer.
|
Cannibal
from Borneo who purchased
Tomcha from his gypsy parents. He
survived with only the loss of an earlobe.
|
|
|
...At
one time believed to be lost, their handwritten notations
and lyrics were discovered in 1949 under the floorboards
of this French brothel where they had apparently been
bartered for certain favors. |
|
Baby
Tomcha before being sold by his
gypsy parents to a childless cannibal couple. |
The
Bedouin introduced Vlasch
to their music. |
 |
...Vlasch
was abandoned by his parents and adopted by the Bedouin.
Shown here sleeping while his nomadic parents serenade
him. |
|
Tomcha
& Vlasch circa 1909
|
Tomcha
returned to Poland on a Norwegian whaling ship to reclaim
his gypsy roots.
|
|
|
...German
Albatross that crashed less than six feet from where
Vlasch slept. |
|
Tomcha's brief flirtation
with the cello
|
Young Vlasch (on left) full of hopes and
dreams for the future.
|
|
Belgian
women mesmerized by Tomcha & Vlasch.
|
Vlasch
with
unindentified musician |
Tomcha
recuperates using the
"Electro Vacuum Rayograph" after being
severely wounded by Baron von Richthofen.
|
|
Masters
of distribution, they secretly disarmed shells, filling
them instead
with their lyrics to cheer the troops. |
One
of the shells rendered harmless
by the gypsies. |
|
Even
starving orphans offered them food. |
Vlasch
addresses an anti-war rally. |
|
 |
Tomcha
visits German troops |
|
|
Room
in Palestine
where "Solitary Dan"
was composed
|
|
|
Some
musicians were less fortunate |
Playing
for the Kaiser |
|
Dropping
coffee filled bombs to tired troops |
 |
Vlasch
greeted by Polish resistance |
|
Doughboy
calling
the enemy to verify
location of Tomcha &
Vlasch concert. . |
|
|
.
Tomcha
taught guitar...
and amore. |
Vlasch's
concert career, like his marriage,
was cut short by the demands
of his first love...opium. |
|
Soldiers
stood in line to hear the singing gypsies in concert.
|
|
Tomcha
"borrowed" this French biplane in order
to take
food and clothing to starving homeless orphans.
|
Clowning
around in a
funhouse mirror
|
|
Laundry
day at the Marne
|
Blinded
troops hoping to touch Vlasch's cloak. |
|
Sailors
requesting their favorite song. |
 |
...Tomcha
& Vlasch (on bicycles) arrive to entertain German
zeppelin pilots.
|
|
They
comfort a wounded bassoonist. |
Preparing
to use floodlight to cast hand-puppet shadows on a cloudy
night.
|
Students
of Hermann Helmholtz
broadcast their concerts |
Tomcha with unkown musicians
|
Relaxing
in a
trench near the Somme
|
|
Vlasch's
viola scroll can just barely be seen in lower right
corner of the trench.
|
|
|
 |
...Always
the consummate and versatile performers, their Dresden
circus appearance was sold out for three weeks. Photo
attributed to Oskar Barnack. |
|
They
survived the sinking of the Lusitania.
|
The
bottle always found its way to
Tomcha.
|
Boozer,
their faithful hound |
 |
...A
young Tomcha (circled) in his first band
|
|
A
map showing how Vlasch (dotted line) and Tomcha
(solid line) maximized
their entertainment offensive at Verdun by temporarily
splitting up.
|
|
. .. .
. .. 
Artists
often used them to model for propaganda posters.
|
Huzzahs
for Tomcha & Vlasch
|
They
often used gas masks to enhance the effects of smoking hashish.
|
circa
1911
|
Tomcha
feigned blindness to gain the sympathy and favors of a
wealthy duchess.
|
Vlasch
was prone not only to
sleepwalking, but also bass playing
in a somnambulistic state.
|
Retreat
where Vlasch unsuccessfully attempted to overcome his opium
addiction. |
The
unknown individual (middle) was later attacked by a drug-crazed
Vlasch for allegedly criticizing his bowing technique.
|
Accordion
given to Tomcha by French artillerymen.
|
Vlasch with voice teacher
|
Performing
in Latvian circus
|
|
Feigning
illness in order to seduce nuns and nurses
|
Tomcha
was known to impersonate
priests in order to pilfer wine. |
Vlasch
in traditional
Polish gypsy attire |
On
holiday |
Opium
nearly killed an emaciated Vlasch.
|
|
Impersonating
German officers in Bavaria
|
Near
the end of their careers |
 |
...Tomcha
& Vlasch pose before the tank that was given to them
by soldiers grateful for any distraction from the horrors
of trench warfare. |
|
| .Tomcha
watches as Vlasch "liberates" a larger tank. |
.. |
In
1918, the world took a brief hiatus from the war as memorial
services for
Tomcha & Vlasch were held in cities across the globe.
|
