Dating Old Brass Instruments

[Philip Sciortino]

Dear Forum Members;

I am making initial research on a number of musical instruments we suspect are older than 100 years some considerably more. I am not sure if this forum is strictly about tubas but decided it take the risk of asking what appears to be an althorn.
See attached pictures.
Kindly refer me to the right people, sites, literature or databases beyond your very informative comments which have been very helpful.
Malta has a very long brass band tradition which was introduced by the British but highly influenced by Italian and Sicilian musical tradition.

Interestingly this Boosey and Sons instrument has two reference numbers, 7512 and 8711. Is one a model series no and the other an inventory number? and which is which?

Philip Sciortino
Malta

[bisontuba]

Go to sites, such as:
Hornucopia.net. And brasshistory.net

They can provide info on makers, serial # lists, etc.

Good luck!

[Three Valves]

Dating.

Then heavy petting.

Then…..

[humBell]

Go to sites, such as:
Hornucopia.net. And brasshistory.net

They can provide info on makers, serial # lists, etc.

Good luck!

The relevant sentence from the horn-u-copia page is:

"From 1854 - 1864, the company was known as Boosey & Sons. Thereafter, the company was known as Boosey & Co."

So there you go within a decade range.

The serial number page starts with the purchase of Distin and and 5 digits, so not much help to you.

I would expect the number in the engraving is the instruments serial number? That the other was perhaps some other group's way of inventorying the instrument? But i only expect that because it fits with the engraving.

Also look at the valve casing for numbers.

I'll poke my nose into the brasshistory site too, because well, i am curious.

And as this is the first i've heard of Boosey & Sons, i got no wisdom or experience to share.

But yeah, if you'll pardon the bostonianism, it's wicked cool.

[humBell]

Brass History adds a detail that they added 24 Holles St in 1857, 1857-1864.

Hope that helps?

[Philip Sciortino]

Very helpful from all of you guys.
I liked the petting suggestion too.
The instrument is in dire need of such activity we call polishing!!

PS

[Mary Ann]

I would not date it, not even consider petting it, until it had a bath.