large bell in an 1896 NOLA brass band

[jacobgarchik]

Friend of mine is writing a history of the drum set and posted this image of John Robichaux’s band, New Orleans 1896.
It's hard to be sure, but it looks to me like a large bell (German style?) trombone. Not the narrative we often hear about trombone size in the music that preceded jazz.

b4885fa6-8886-4382-993b-7be9cf769cae_700x504.jpg

[LeTromboniste]

American horn I think, but some of the very old ones from the 19th century were somewhat more German-leaning. The earliest Conn I've seen was unlike any other I've seen. It looked like a German trombone in the bell flare proportions, but quite a bit smaller and narrower-built overall. Not unlike the horn picture there, in fact! Not necessarily surprising to see some early German-ish influences at Conn, when you think of it, considering the large German immigration to Indiana throughout the 1800s. I don't remember if that instrument had a very low serial number or didn't have one at all but it was definitely 19th century.

[JohnL]

Is it just me, or is that bell tail kinda on the long side?

[mikerspencer]

Is it just me, or is that bell tail kinda on the long side?

Not so much at the tuning slide end. It'll either need a massive counterweight, or be very nose heavy.

Super cool picture.

[LeTromboniste]

Is it just me, or is that bell tail kinda on the long side?

Not so much at the tuning slide end. It'll either need a massive counterweight, or be very nose heavy.

Super cool picture.

Yeah that looks to me like a bell at around 4th position. Not super common so late, but some French trombones were still made that way until around the time of that picture. From the instruments I own and have seen, Courtois seems to either have moved their bells back from 4th to 3rd some time during the 1890s, or to have offered both options. Mine had the bell in 4th, my colleague's is from the same decade but had the bell in 3rd.

[jacobgarchik]

A French made trombone or French-influenced design would certainly make sense for New Orleans in the 1890s.
Seems to be Albert System clarinets in A and Bb.
My friend posted it to point out the very early photo (maybe the earliest) of a bass drum pedal mechanism.
A lot of interesting instrument details here!