# What are these old-timey band thingies called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 21, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045 "2015-06-21T01:05:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/1 "2015-06-21T01:05:23Z")
What are the decorative stands that band members used to sit behind called? I’m thinking of something like the photo on this page: > **[Listen: Long lost big band recording logs on for big revival](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/listen-long-lost-big-band-879321)** > > Scoresof you have been logging on to the Guardian's website to hear a lost recording of one the town's most famous swing bands. We put one of the tracks from the 1947 recording on our website, and nostalgia seekers have been flocking to hear the... Or the first picture on this page: > **[Sweethearts of Rhythm: 1940s](https://www.shorpy.com/node/15721)** > > The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the pioneering all-girl jazz-swing group, with bandleader Anna Mae Winburn in the 1940s. Guitarist Carline Ray, who died in New York earlier this month at age 88, is third from left. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/2 "2015-06-21T01:10:42Z")
Podiums? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/3 "2015-06-21T01:17:30Z")
[Band Stands.](http://bigbandstands.com/Big_Band_Stands/Prices.html) Not to be confused with [bandstands.](http://www.andythornton.com/system/portfolio_item_images/989/original/Carr-Bank-Park-bandstand-2-.jpg?1350402966) ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/4 "2015-06-21T01:20:22Z")
Ah, ok. Thanks. That’s helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/5 "2015-06-21T01:31:36Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Not to be confused with [bandstands.](http://www.andythornton.com/system/portfolio_item_images/989/original/Carr-Bank-Park-bandstand-2-.jpg?1350402966) Nor with [Bandstand](https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=American_Bandstand). ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/6 "2015-06-21T01:46:12Z")
**Music Stands.** [Here’s the modern-day, portable version.](http://www.sharmusic.com/productimages/image.axd/i.1565/w.2000/h.2000/nilton+studio+music+stand+-+made+in+sweden_.jpg) They’re for holding the sheet music. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/7 "2015-06-21T04:24:00Z")
Yes, but they are much more than just music holders (which have been around forever, we had music stands much like that in grade school in the 1950’s). Band stands do more than hold music, they decorate the space and identify the band to the public. It’s a form of advertising. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/8 "2015-06-21T04:42:53Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > **Music Stands.** [Here’s the modern-day, portable version.](http://www.sharmusic.com/productimages/image.axd/i.1565/w.2000/h.2000/nilton+studio+music+stand+-+made+in+sweden_.jpg) > > They’re for holding the sheet music. Band stands as linked to in the OP are much more substantial than just music stands. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/9 "2015-06-21T17:18:31Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Podiums? A podium is a raised area. The thing people stand behind while talking is a lectern. The two are often confused. ---
**Author:** ![MsKaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MsKaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsKaren)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-old-timey-band-thingies-called/723045/10 "2015-06-22T02:54:26Z")
> [@Number](#): > > A podium is a raised area. The thing people stand behind while talking is a lectern. The two are often confused. Podium has that root for foot like podiatry or pseudopod. It’s a place for your feet. Lectern’s root means read. It is a place for your book while you lecture. Most kids think i put my book on a podium. When I say “Yes, you can borrow my pen. It’s on the lectern” the usual response is “The what? … I mean, the what, ma’am.”🙂