Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post Reply
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:20 am

Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by arpthark »

Image

A friend found this on a gravestone in Cumberland, RI. The Paine family made brass instruments in Woonsocket and were an early pioneer of the rotary valve. The instrument above seems to be a four-rotary valved trombone. Pretty random and cool find!
Kbiggs
Posts: 1257
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 11:46 am
Location: Vancouver WA

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by Kbiggs »

Cool indeed!
Kenneth Biggs
I have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.
—Mark Twain (attributed)
brassmedic
Posts: 1072
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:07 pm
Contact:

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by brassmedic »

Very cool. I've seen Thomas Paine instruments with that type of valve wrap, but never a trombone. The Paine rotary valves had a straight passage through the middle and passages on both sides, the idea being to shorten the throw. Minick designed a valve with a straight passage through the middle, but this was more than 100 years earlier.
Last edited by brassmedic on Wed Jan 31, 2024 2:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Brad Close Brass Instruments - brassmedic.com
brassmedic
Posts: 1072
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:07 pm
Contact:

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by brassmedic »

painevalve.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Brad Close Brass Instruments - brassmedic.com
AndrewMeronek
Posts: 1114
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 6:09 pm
Location: Detroit area
Contact:

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by AndrewMeronek »

Considering 170 years, that's headstone is in pretty decent shape.

Neat!
“All musicians are subconsciously mathematicians.”

- Thelonious Monk
User avatar
harrisonreed
Posts: 5136
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by harrisonreed »

So if T. D. Paine invented that rotor, who was Edwin F.? That's clearly the same rotor on his grave. Maybe a brother?
User avatar
arpthark
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:20 am

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by arpthark »

harrisonreed wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 3:48 pm So if T. D. Paine invented that rotor, who was Edwin F.? That's clearly the same rotor on his grave. Maybe a brother?
Yes, Edwin was one of (at least three) Paine brothers, along with Thomas D. and Emery A. Paine.
User avatar
JohnL
Posts: 1841
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:01 am
Contact:

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by JohnL »

AndrewMeronek wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 3:34 pm Considering 170 years, that's headstone is in pretty decent shape.
Quality stone, deep engraving. Maybe some good fortune in being oriented such that it's not facing into the prevailing wind direction, so the rain tends not to hit the engraving. The oldest markers in the cemetery near my house date from the late 1860's and most of them are still in good shape (sadly, some newer ones made from less durable materials with shallow engraving are worn smooth).

Back on topic: Have to wonder why their valve never caught on. Maybe they didn't make it large enough, so the valve was too restrictive when engaged? Maybe it was too expensive to manufacture using the tools available at the time?
brassmedic
Posts: 1072
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:07 pm
Contact:

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by brassmedic »

JohnL wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:59 am
AndrewMeronek wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 3:34 pm Considering 170 years, that's headstone is in pretty decent shape.
Quality stone, deep engraving. Maybe some good fortune in being oriented such that it's not facing into the prevailing wind direction, so the rain tends not to hit the engraving. The oldest markers in the cemetery near my house date from the late 1860's and most of them are still in good shape (sadly, some newer ones made from less durable materials with shallow engraving are worn smooth).

Back on topic: Have to wonder why their valve never caught on. Maybe they didn't make it large enough, so the valve was too restrictive when engaged? Maybe it was too expensive to manufacture using the tools available at the time?
Lots of sharp bends. Maybe played stuffy?
Brad Close Brass Instruments - brassmedic.com
brassmedic
Posts: 1072
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:07 pm
Contact:

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by brassmedic »

JohnL wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:59 am
AndrewMeronek wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 3:34 pm Considering 170 years, that's headstone is in pretty decent shape.
Quality stone, deep engraving. Maybe some good fortune in being oriented such that it's not facing into the prevailing wind direction, so the rain tends not to hit the engraving. The oldest markers in the cemetery near my house date from the late 1860's and most of them are still in good shape (sadly, some newer ones made from less durable materials with shallow engraving are worn smooth).

Back on topic: Have to wonder why their valve never caught on. Maybe they didn't make it large enough, so the valve was too restrictive when engaged? Maybe it was too expensive to manufacture using the tools available at the time?
Lots of sharp bends. Maybe played stuffy?
Brad Close Brass Instruments - brassmedic.com
calcbone
Posts: 197
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2018 5:51 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Interesting trombone gravestone in Cumberland, RI (Edwin Paine, d. 1855)

Post by calcbone »

brassmedic wrote: Fri Feb 02, 2024 2:14 am
JohnL wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:59 am
Quality stone, deep engraving. Maybe some good fortune in being oriented such that it's not facing into the prevailing wind direction, so the rain tends not to hit the engraving. The oldest markers in the cemetery near my house date from the late 1860's and most of them are still in good shape (sadly, some newer ones made from less durable materials with shallow engraving are worn smooth).

Back on topic: Have to wonder why their valve never caught on. Maybe they didn't make it large enough, so the valve was too restrictive when engaged? Maybe it was too expensive to manufacture using the tools available at the time?
Lots of sharp bends. Maybe played stuffy?
Wonder why he didn’t just orient the wrap on the other side of the valve? According to that image, it would seem like that would eliminate a lot of the sharp angles…
Post Reply

Return to “History of the Trombone”