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Post Horn in Bb by Graves & Co., Winchester, NH
Graves and Company was the first US firm to produce wind instruments
in quantity, starting the 1820s. This Bb post horn was made about 1845
and has three double piston valves. This sort of valve was popular in
Germany and Eastern Europe in the very early years of valve brass
instruments and continues to be used today with side action levers in the
famous Vienna Horns. This style of very small bore (.360") valved
instrument had a very short tenure in the US along side the keyed bugle
and quickly died out due to the popularity of the larger and louder cornets
and Saxhorns which were introduced at about this time. A Graves alto
with the same mechanism can be seen here.
This restoration was a challenge due to the extensive damage and
deterioration of the metal. Numerous cracks had already been soldered
over and needed very careful repairs. The result of the restoration is a
highly collectible and very rare early American made instrument. There
are only seven post horns in Bb, C and Eb by Graves known to have
survived along with seven others by the Boston makers E.G. Wright and
J.L Allen. The owner of this instrument is Steven Ward.
in quantity, starting the 1820s. This Bb post horn was made about 1845
and has three double piston valves. This sort of valve was popular in
Germany and Eastern Europe in the very early years of valve brass
instruments and continues to be used today with side action levers in the
famous Vienna Horns. This style of very small bore (.360") valved
instrument had a very short tenure in the US along side the keyed bugle
and quickly died out due to the popularity of the larger and louder cornets
and Saxhorns which were introduced at about this time. A Graves alto
with the same mechanism can be seen here.
This restoration was a challenge due to the extensive damage and
deterioration of the metal. Numerous cracks had already been soldered
over and needed very careful repairs. The result of the restoration is a
highly collectible and very rare early American made instrument. There
are only seven post horns in Bb, C and Eb by Graves known to have
survived along with seven others by the Boston makers E.G. Wright and
J.L Allen. The owner of this instrument is Steven Ward.