US ARMY BRASS “F” TRUMPET –
INFANTRY MODEL MANUFACTURED BY HORSTMANN’S – VERY NICE
SPECIMEN WITH SLIDING LOOP:
One of the iconic pieces of the 19Th Century
Army, and a piece avidly sought by collectors, trumpets,
or as they are commonly referred to – “bugles”, are a
bit of an enigma. While old trumpets are often found in
antique and curio shops, there is little reference
material to assure you that you are buying a trumpet
that adheres to the US Army contract standards. If you
aren’t careful, you may be buying a Boy Scouts of
America trumpet (saw one of these just the other day),
or one used by any one of hundreds of fraternal or
societal bands and marching groups that flourished
during the late 19Th and early 20TH
Centuries.
Fortunately, the
Quartermaster Department left specific standards and
diagrams from which the dimensional information can be
obtained. As provided in the Specifications of 1879,
the Trumpet for Foot Troops “When complete, with mouth
piece in, to weigh about twelve and a half ounces, and
to measure about sixteen inches in length….and the
diameter of the bell to be about four and one half
inches.” The accompanying diagram indicates that the
measurement of the coil is to be eleven inches.
This trumpet measures 16 ½”
long, the bell measures 4 ½” in diameter and the
interior of the coils measures 11”, and it weighs right
at 12.25 ounces.
The trumpet is full form
with very few handling dings, but no severe dents or
misshaping. Both carrying rings are present on the
interior of the coils, and the mouth piece is present
and functional. The brass has a very pleasant even
patina.
Instead of a detachable “C”
crook, this trumpet features a sliding coil as can be
seen in the photographs below. The Specifications of
1879 called for a separate “C crook”, or coil, an
additional coil to change the pitch of the trumpet. The
sliding coil integral to this trumpet was an improvement
over the separate “C” coil which was an additional piece
that had to be carried by the soldier and was subject to
damage or loss when separated from the trumpet.
On the top of the bell is
an applied brass medallion bearing the seal and riband
of the Horstmann Uniform Company of Philadelphia, a well
known supplier of military goods. Horstmann's certainly
would have been one of the primary sources for these
trumpets, and having this maker’s seal on the trumpet is
excellent provenance for this trumpet.
This is a very nice specimen of the trumpets used by the
army in the late 19th and early 20th
Centuries.
SOLD
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