Boston Orchestra Model Cornet
This Boston Bb rotary valve cornet was made in the early
1870s and was the same model that had been built by E.G.
Wright starting in about 1865 and earlier versions before that.
By the time that this example was built, the popularity of rotary
valve instruments in the US was being overtaken by French
and English style instruments with piston valves. As far back
as the 1850s, the makers in Boston took note of how popular
the Courtois Bb cornets were among soloists which influenced
them in designing this and similar cornets. When the bore
profile is compared to Courtois Levy's and Koenig's models, it
is obvious that this is a direct copy with rotary valves. Boston
instruments are among my very favorites and I've worked
many dozens of them. Every Boston instrument is a good
playing instrument unless it has been abused or modified badly
enough to ruin it.
Boston's catalogues listed brass and German silver versions of
every instrument and in the early years they also offered the
option of a German silver instrument with brass (as seen here)
or copper bell. Some players thought that the different bell
materials offered different acoustics and certainly the copper
bell cornets are among the most visually appealing instruments
ever made. The last photo to the left shows the orchestra
cornet with an all brass Boston Band Model cornet. The Band
Model has the same bore measurement but with tighter curves
through the valve section and a slightly smaller bell. This
Orchestra Model retains it's original mouthpiece, Bb mouthpipe
shank, bit and low pitch tuning slide (virtually all US bands
played in high pitch at the time indicating that this cornet must
have been used for orchestra or church work). It is 12 3/8"
long with bell rim diameter of 5" and bore measuring .462".
1870s and was the same model that had been built by E.G.
Wright starting in about 1865 and earlier versions before that.
By the time that this example was built, the popularity of rotary
valve instruments in the US was being overtaken by French
and English style instruments with piston valves. As far back
as the 1850s, the makers in Boston took note of how popular
the Courtois Bb cornets were among soloists which influenced
them in designing this and similar cornets. When the bore
profile is compared to Courtois Levy's and Koenig's models, it
is obvious that this is a direct copy with rotary valves. Boston
instruments are among my very favorites and I've worked
many dozens of them. Every Boston instrument is a good
playing instrument unless it has been abused or modified badly
enough to ruin it.
Boston's catalogues listed brass and German silver versions of
every instrument and in the early years they also offered the
option of a German silver instrument with brass (as seen here)
or copper bell. Some players thought that the different bell
materials offered different acoustics and certainly the copper
bell cornets are among the most visually appealing instruments
ever made. The last photo to the left shows the orchestra
cornet with an all brass Boston Band Model cornet. The Band
Model has the same bore measurement but with tighter curves
through the valve section and a slightly smaller bell. This
Orchestra Model retains it's original mouthpiece, Bb mouthpipe
shank, bit and low pitch tuning slide (virtually all US bands
played in high pitch at the time indicating that this cornet must
have been used for orchestra or church work). It is 12 3/8"
long with bell rim diameter of 5" and bore measuring .462".
