The Excelsior Cornet Band performs on original Civil War era band instruments, dating from as early as the 1820's up to the 1870's. We have rescued many of these antique brasswind instruments from near-certain destruction, and they have been professionally restored to playing condition, or are awaiting restoration. Most of these instruments were acquired in the Central and Upstate New York region, and a number of them were undoubtedly used by area bands during the Civil War. Our primary performance instruments are "saxhorns", named after their inventor, Adolphe Sax. Four different types of saxhorn are represented in our collection: bell-front, bell upright, circular, and over-the-shoulder (OTS). In addition, we use several keyed brasses in performance and are planning to add our ophicleide to create a wind quartet typical of the 1830s.
NEW ACQUISITIONS:
The newest addition to our collection is this top-action cornet in C, made by Hall & Quinby of Boston, circa 1876. It will soon have an authentic reproduction mouthpipe shank and B-flat crook, now being made by Robb Stewart, and it is in the queue for a full restoration. It was purchased from a descendant of the original owner, in the Charlotte, NC area.
One of our latest acquisitions is this OTS E-flat soprano saxhorn by E. Baack of New York, Circa 1863. This horn was found in the Cooperstown, NY area. It is made of German silver, and is most likely an imported instrument stenciled for Baack and sold at his New York retail store. It is at the top of our list for restoration, as it completes our full performance set of OTS saxhorns.
Another exciting find is the "Leader's Model" E-flat cornet by E.G. Wright & Co., Boston, circa 1865. It came from a Maine estate and was purchased in the Boston area. Elbridge G. Wright was one of the most important makers of brass instruments in the US, and he was renowned for his spectacular solid silver presentation E-flat keyed bugles. While this instrument is more utilitarian, it is the first instrument in our collection to represent this important maker. It will also soon receive a full restoration, and it promises to be a fine player.
We were recently able to purchase two very nice side-action rotary B-flat cornets. The first is an instrument made by Schuster of Markneukirchen, Germany, circa 1870. It is made of German silver and includes its full original kit with walnut case, shank for A, crooks for A-flat and G, mouthpiece, and music lyre. Also included are two bandbooks identified to Fred L. Eastman, 2nd B-flat cornet in the Salamanca Cornet Band in the 1880s. This cornet is essentially identical in detail to the Martin Pollman & Co. B-flat cornet pictured further down this page. It will be restored as time and money permits, and it promises to be a fine player.
The second is an "Orchestra Model" B-flat cornet made by the Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory circa 1870. This model is highly prized by today's Civil War band cornetists because of its exceptionally fine playing qualities. It is also made of German Silver, and includes its original case, mouthpiece, tuning bit, high- and low-pitch main tuning slides, lyre, and another period mouthpiece. It is missing one key touch, and will need other minor restoration work to make it playable. We are looking forward to adding it to our performance ranks.
OUR "NEW" NEW YORK SNARE DRUM:
Snare drum by E. Brown & Co. of Albany, NY. This pre-war drum has been beautifully restored to playing condition by Garman Bowers, Jr. of Fairplay, MD. Garman's splendid restoration included European hemp rope, new leather tugs carefully copied from the originals, minor repairs to the wood, a leather carry strap with D-ring, hand-made gut snares, a beautiful refinishing, and correct drumsticks precisely copied from period originals.
This drum and our bass drum by Blodgett & Bradford of Buffalo, NY. both date to the 1850s. They are now being used for our 2009 concert season. It is a special thrill to be able to perform on original pre-war New-York-made drums, just as we would have done as a New York State militia band in 1861.
Garman Bowers is now offering his drum restoration service to the public. Original period drums restored by Garman are are currently being used by a number of vintage bands. He can be contacted at garmanbowers@myactv.net.
OUR "NEW" NEW YORK BASS DRUM:
Magnificently restored to near-new condition by Garman Bowers, Jr. of Fairplay, Maryland, our bass drum by Blodgett & Bradford of Buffalo, NY is ready for the concert stage. The drum measures 27.5" x 18.5". The restoration included custom-made Remo FibreSkyn heads (we hope to eventually be able to use calfskin heads, but they are currently not available), European hemp rope, hand-cast brass lions-head carry rings, replacing a few missing tacks in the very nice tack design, new leather tugs precisely copied from the originals, minor repairs to the wood, and a beautiful refinishing. A leather cymbal mounting strap, and a handmade 2-point carry harness patterned after a period original, will follow shortly to complete this beautiful and rare instrument.
A recent find is this very rare E-flat SARV (side-action rotary valve) cornet made in 1864 by Gilmore, Graves & Co. of Boston. For a short period in 1864-65, the famous bandleader Patrick Gilmore was in partnership with the important American instrument maker Samuel Graves. This instrument can be set up to play with conventional fingering, or with the "Catholic" fingering system with the shortest valve loop first. (It is shown set up for the latter.) It was acquired at auction from a Boston estate. It received very minor repairs to make it playable, and has already been used in several performances.
Recently purchased from a private individual is this B-flat SARV cornet made circa 1876 by Quinby Bros. of Boston. It has received minor repairs to make it playable, and will soon be fully restored.
A recent find is this C/B-flat keyed bugle, signed by John Townsend of Manchester, England. Townsend was active as a music dealer from 1819-1869; this bugle was most likely made for Townsend in the 1830s. It will eventually receive a full cosmetic and playing restoration.
E-flat Cornets:
E-flat cornet with box valves, made in 1872 by Hall & Quinby. "Rare" is an inadequate term to describe this instrument: It is the only known surviving E-flat cornet with Benjamin F. Quinby's patented box valves. It was purchased at an estate sale in Byron, NY and will be restored by Robb Stewart in the near future.
OTS E-flat cornet by John F. Stratton, c.1860-61. Over-the-shoulder instruments were very popular for street or military bands as they threw the sound of the music backwards towards the troops marching behind the band. They were colloquially known as "back'ard blasters" or "backfiring" horns. The earliest OTS E-flat cornet by Stratton known to exist, this instrument was acquired in pieces in a bin of old horn parts purchased from the estate of an instrument repairman from Binghamton, NY. It was restored by Bob Pallansch, who did the work on many of the instruments pictured here.
E-flat cornet by C.W. Kohler, Cincinnatee, Ohio, c. 1856. This is one of two known cornets signed by Kohler. He later partnered with Kaiser; they supplied instruments for Rudolph Wurlitzer during the Civil War. The cornet has a very unusual bowstring valve mechanism. Not currently playable, it will eventually receive a full restoration by Robb Stewart.
E-flat cornet, "Leader's Model", made by the Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory, c. 1870. This model was introduced in the 1860s by E.G. Wright. It has a small bell which gives it a more piercing sound, so that it can be heard above the rest of the band. It required almost no restoration. A fine player, it was acquired at auction in Maine.
Unsigned E-flat cornet, probably by John F. Stratton, c.1865-70. Bell-front soprano instruments and bell-up low brass were considered superior for concert use, since they directed the sound toward the listening audience. This instrument was played by Dr. J.P. Morgan who had a traveling medicine show in the late 1800s and later practiced dentistry in Port Leyden, NY.
E-flat cornet by Martin, Pollmann & Co., c.1872, purchased in the Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA area.
Unsigned E-flat cornet, c.1872, formerly in the collection of the late Elliott Topalian, one of Syracuse's most respected music educators.
E-flat cornet by Slater & Martin, c.1868. This instrument bears a patch engraved with the name of, presumably, the original owner, A.H. Sexton. It has the original box and two period hand-copied bandbooks.
E-flat cornet by Hall & Quinby, Boston, c.1874. Lovingly restored, it is a fine player.
E-flat cornet by Hall & Quinby, c.1864. This instrument was presented by the members of the Brooklyn Cornet Band to their bandleader, Amos H. Bangle, on October 11, 1866. It has patented "Allen" valves, characterized by pinched windways and small-diameter rotors. Above, photos prior to restoration. Below, photos of the same instrument after its total restoration to superb playing condition by Robb Stewart.
B-flat Cornets:
Circular B-flat cornet, unsigned, imported from Europe circa 1860. It was purchased from the Seattle area, from a descendant of the original owner. This instrument needed virtually no restoration work, and plays quite well.
B-flat over-the-shoulder soprano saxhorn (cornet), c. 1860-70. This instrument is a European import, possibly built by Adolphe Sax, for the American band market. This instrument has now been restored and recently made its performing debut.
B-flat cornet made by Moses Slater, New York, c. 1870. This instrument was purchased on Ebay and is now restored. It plays nicely. Photos show the instrument before and after restoration.
B-flat cornet, "Band Size" model made by the Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory, c. 1870. While it was the cheapest in the BMIM line in its day, this model is highly sought after today. It is an excellent player. It was acquired at auction in Maine, and needed virtually no restoration.
B-flat cornet by Martin, Pollmann & Co., c.1872, shown before and after restoration. It was acquired at an auction in Auburn, NY. The "before" condition of this cornet is typical of the poor condition in which we often find these instruments. In the skilled hands of restorers like Bob Pallansch and Robb Stewart, they are transformed from battered hulks into beautiful, playable instruments.
B-flat cornet by Schuster, c.1875. This instrument is identical in almost every respect to the Martin, Pollmann & Co. instrument above, except that it has a French-style rolled bellrim instead of a Saxon rim/garland. It came with its original case and music lyre.
Cornopean by J.A. Rohe, c. 1845. This instrument has valve buttons made from 1862 Indian Head pennies. It was acquired in Rochester, NY, in pieces and missing significant portions of the tubing. The miraculous restoration was done by Robb Stewart.
B-flat cornet by John F. Stratton, c.1868. This instrument was purchased for $5, in very rough condition, at a yard sale several blocks from my house in Syracuse, NY.
B-flat cornet by Isaac Fiske, c.1866. Fiske was one of the premiere instrument craftsmen of the mid-19th century and his instruments are highly prized by collectors. This was an Ebay find and is inscribed to the original owner, James O. Brown of Barnesville, Ohio. The beautiful restoration was done by Rich Ita.
B-flat cornet by McFadden & Beaumont, c.1872. This truly important instrument is the only known instrument to survive from this firm. Frederick Beaumont had worked for Isaac Fiske, and in partnership with George McFadden produced unlicensed copies of Fiske's patented designs. The ensuing squabble with Fiske forced McFadden & Beaumont out of business within two years. George McFadden relocated to Syracuse, NY, where his firm produced high-quality piston-valve cornets until 1910. The cornet was acquired from central New Hampshire, and was superbly restored by Robb Stewart.
B-flat soprano saxhorn with Berliner piston valves, unsigned, upright bell, French, c.1850. Another Ebay find, currently awaiting restoration.
Top-action B-flat cornet, unsigned, c.1870. Our first Civil War era rotary instrument, purchased at an estate sale not far from my home.
B-flat cornet with Perinet pistons by F. Besson, Paris, c.1865. This instrument was purchased (by my sharp-eyed wife) at a local antique shop, and has plating and modifications done in the late 1800s by the Syracuse shop of George McFadden.
E-flat Alto Horns:
OTS alto horn in E-flat, unsigned, c.1860-70. This instrument was recently acquired from the Mark Elrod collection. It plays beautifully.
Solo alto horn by Quinby Bros., c.1870. Purchased at an auction in Maine, this instrument is nearly identical to the Quinby solo alto pictured below. It has a silver plaque on the bell, engraved with the name of, presumably, the original owner, "William S. Wheaton, New York."
Alto horn by Martin, Pollmann & Co., c.1872
OTS alto horn by Kummer & Schetelich, c.1862. This instrument was purchased at auction in Marathon, NY and was used by a band from the McLean, NY area. (This instrument is no longer in our collection.)
OTS alto horn by Moses Slater, c.1876. This instrument was played in a postwar band from the Cortland NY area, possibly in the Homer Band, pictured here. It has its original case and was acquired from a kind audience member who told us after a concert that she had an instrument much like the ones we were using, and asked if we would be interested in purchasing it. We are eternally grateful!
Solo alto horn by Quinby Bros., c.1870. Formerly from the collection of Syracuse music legend Calvin Custer.
Slide Trombones
Slide trombone in B-flat, c.1860-80. Trombones were only rarely found in Civil War era bands, so period originals are extremely scarce. This instrument is an unsigned European import, and has neither a tuning slide nor a waterkey. Aside from a few dents, it is in very good shape. Very similar instruments can be seen in a number of published wartime photos. Below, Jeremiah Potter, Drum Major of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, poses with a similar slide trombone.
(Chris Nelson Collection)
B-flat Tenor/Baritone Horns:
B-flat baritone in teardrop shape, by Louis Schreiber, New York, c. 1866. From 1865 to 1870, Schreiber produced small numbers of teardrop-shaped instruments, in five sizes: E-flat cornet, B-flat cornet, E-flat alto, B-flat tenor/baritone, and E-flat bass. This extremely rare instrument has received a complete restoration to nearly new playing condition by Robb Stewart. Our baritone player gives it two BIG thumbs up!
OTS B-flat baritone by John Howard Foote, New York, c. 1870. This instrument was found in the Philadelphia area. It plays very well and will soon receive a complete cosmetic restoration.
OTS B-flat tenor horn by Gautrot Aine, Paris, c. 1855-65. Purchased from the Kansas City area, it will need quite a bit of restoration but will undoubtedly be a good player when overhauled.
Tenor horn by Kummer & Schetelich, c.1862. This instrument came to us in a trade arrangement with a friend.
Unsigned tenor horn, c.1875, with Berliner piston valves, unearthed in the Greene, NY area. (This instrument is no longer in our collection.)
Baritone horn, unsigned, c.187o, with Berliner piston valves, given to us some years ago by a late friend. It has the original bent-wood case.
E-flat Basses:
OTS bass by Slater & Martin, c.1870, shown "as found" . This horn was donated
to us by an area music teacher. It has suffered some unfortunate damage and
deterioration due to the ravages of time, but it will soon receive a full restoration
by Robb Stewart.
OTS bass by C.A. Zoebisch & Sons, c.1860, shown "as found" and after
Robb Stewart's superb restoration. This instrument was purchased in Bristol,
Connecticut. Tubists Al Thomson and Mark Elrod have both decared it to be a
superb player!
OTS bass, unsigned, c.1865, shown "as found" and after restoration. In addition to the obvious damage, it was missing the bell garland, 2nd valve crook, mouthpipe, original valve buttons, and a valve cap. Robb Stewart made the missing parts; the overall restoration was done by Bob Pallansch.
Upright bass by John F. Stratton, c.1868. This tuba was purchased from a Syracuse-area musician who had brought it to a local music store for minor repairs.
Upright bass, attributed to C.A. Zoebisch, c.1863. Ex Mark Elrod collection, this was our first E-flat tuba. (This instrument is no longer in our collection.)
Upright bass by J.A. Rohe, c.1855, before and after restoration. This instrument was found as a pile of battered parts at a Buffalo, NY flea market. The black-and-white photo shows identical instruments used by Joseph G. Eaton and Frank W. Lewis in the Leominster (Massachusetts) Brass Band in 1861.
French Horns:
Though almost never found in Civil War brass bands, French horns were in use in orchestras, and possibly in a few of the larger military post bands, throughout the era. These instruments are rare period originals.
French horn in F by Kummer & Schetelich, c.1862, purchased at a Syracuse, NY antique show.
French horn in E-flat, unsigned, c.1870, also purchased at a Syracuse antique show.
Percussion:
Civil War era drums were made of wood, with calfskin heads, linen or hemp rope bindings, and leather tensioners. They were very sensitive to changes in the weather, the sound becoming more throaty and soggy as the heat and humidity increased.
Contract Eagle Drum by Ernest Vogt, unrestored, 1865. Purchased at an antique market in Falls Church, VA. Original wartime snare drums such as this eagle drum are rare and expensive, and we have decided to use a top-quality reproduction snare drum and keep our period eagle drum in as-found condition to preserve it for future generations.
Snare Drum by Cooperman, 2003 (photo to follow)
Snare Drum, unsigned, c.1870
Snare Drum by J.C. Haynes, Boston, C.1875 (photo to follow)
Bass Drum, unsigned, c.1875. This 32" drum still has one original calfskin head, and is our primary playing instrument.
Bass Drum, unsigned, c.1880. This 30" drum was our secondary instrument for several years, and is shown marked for a performance in which we portrayed the Elmira Cornet Band. (This instrument is no longer in our collection.)
"Barrel" Bass Drum, unsigned, c1840 (currently undergoing restoration, photo to follow)
Keyed Brasses:
The keyed bugle was invented in 1810 by Dublin musician Joseph Halliday. It was the first practical brass instrument capable of playing all the notes of the scale. By 1815, the instrument had been introduced into the United States, and started the brass band craze which reigned for most of the 19th century. Soon after its introduction, it was followed by a larger version, the ophicleide, which was used to play the low-register parts. With the advent and wide acceptance of valved brasses in the 1840s, the keyed bugle and ophicleide were rendered obsolete.
Keyed bugle in E-Flat, 10 keys, unsigned, circa 1850. Attributed to Graves & Co. An Ebay purchase, this instrument came from Salem, Massachusetts. It has received a beautiful restoration at the hands of Robb Stewart, and it plays very well.
Keyed Bugle in B-flat, 6 keys, unsigned, made in Markneukirchen, c.1825. Formerly in the collection of Ron Johnson, Cooperstown, NY. It plays very well and we have used it in performance.
Keyed Bugle in B-flat, 7 keys, marked "Patent Royal Bugle / London", c.1830. Copper with brass trim and keys. Photos show the instrument as found, and freshly restored by Robb Stewart. It is unusual in that it retains its original B-flat crook, 2 tuning bits, and silver-rimmed mouthpiece. It plays beautifully and is the instrument used by Jeff Stockham for his First-Place-winning performance at the 2008 National Trumpet Competition.
Ophicleide in C, 9 keys, unsigned, French, c.1850. Although obsolete by the 1840s, ophicleides were manufactured in France well into the late 1800s. Al Thomson is ready to tackle learning how to play this beast, so that we can include a keyed brass quartet in our shows.
Bugles:
The bugle was the signaling instrument of the armed forces. Every aspect of a soldier's day was controlled by the bugle--there were bugle calls to signal virtually every camp activity, and calls to control the troops' movements on the battlefield as well. Though our bugles are postwar, they are of the correct patterns that would typically be found in Civil War regiments.
Copper clairon bugle (reproduction) by Jan Henrik Berger, 2004. An accurate copy of a regulation Civil War clairon, this horn is a very good player.
Clairon Bugles in B-flat
(French 1835 "Clairon D'Ordonnance" pattern)
Infantry Bugle in C with B-flat pigtail, c.1870. An Ebay find and a very nice player.
Other items:
Our holdings include three original drum major maces, and 12 original Musician and NCO swords by Ames, Collins, Horstman, Emerson & Silver, and others. The band often wears these original swords (with repro scabbards, of course) when on parade.
"Cold Mountain" Horns:
Several of our instruments, shown above, were used during the filming of the movie Cold Mountain and are visible in the scene in which Inman bids Ada goodbye and rushes off to join his regiment, which is being led out of town by a brass band. The production company leased five of our instruments--one Eb cornet, two Bb cornets, and two OTS Eb altos--for use in the film, and shipped them to Romania where they were played by members of the Romanian army band who portrayed a Confederate band for this scene. Hmmm...maybe the whole band will be hired for the next big Civil War movie...
This is the only movie still I could find that shows the Confederate band.
Dickson's OTS alto can be seen just to the right of the officer on the black horse.
Photo Copyright 2003, Phil Brey.
Our Instruments 