Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

The head of the instrument making Courtois family (first name unknown) founded a workshop in 1789 in Mazarine, Paris.

• 1789 1st established by Courtois on rue Mazarine, Paris; made natural horns and trumpets
• 1803 the first Courtois may have died this year; Antoine Courtois (1770-1855) may have established his shop at the same time at 25 rue de Caire.
• 1819-1844 Courtois shop at #21 rue de Caire
• 1844 son Denis Antoine Courtois (c1800-1880) was successor to Courtois Freres at 21 rue du Caire, Paris; trumpets, slide trombones, flugelhorns & ophicleides
• 1851 Denis patented valve improvements
• 1856 Denis moved factory to 88 rue des Marais; August Mille (1838-1898) started working for him. Jean-Baptiste Arban assisted in designing the Arban Cornet. The slide trombone was also a Courtois specialty.
• 1878 Mille became foreman for factory
• 1880 Denis died leaving no descendants; Mille became successor; formed Antoine Courtois & Mille in July
• 1892 Mille was granted US patent #468,025 for trombone slide
• 1895 Emile Delvaux & Amedee Legay became successors
• 1908 Delvaux’s sister Marguerite became owner with Legay
• 1909 Courtois became the exclusive supplier for the Ministry of Beaux Arts at the Paris Conservatory
• 1917 music publisher Emmanuel Gaudet (1860-1933) purchased the company and Emile Deslaurier was hired as the director
• 1919 H & A Selmer ad showed the new model Courtois trumpet with 1st slide finger ring, Bb/A change valve, French brass body & bell, and phosphor bronze valves.
• 1921 Selmer was the sole US agent for Courtois instruments
• 1930 the factory moved to 8 rue de Nancy
• 1934 after the death of Gaudet, son Paul became co-manager with Emile; Gaudet’s widow Catharine-Marie became part owner
• 1937, Paul, son of Emmanuel Gaudet, bought out Deslauriers shares and took the over only to be confronted with being drafted in the war and had to close the shops. Valuable stocks and instruments of historical value were stolen. Paul Gaudet, was made a prisioner Stalag XX Band founded and directed an orchestra.
• 193? - 1944 plant closed with Paul in WWII
• 1944, Paul Gaudet was liberated, and Courtois was open for business again.
• 1950s Courtois started making trumpets & cornets for Noblet
• 1956 Paul Gaudet opened plant at Ambrois Indre et Loire
• 1967 Jacques Gaudet started working for his father
• 1980 Jacques became president
• 1990s Gerhard Meinl, en-GDR in Markneukirchen, S.M.L. Strasser-Marigaux, and Antoine Courtois became the Meinl Group
• 1994 Meinl group became part of the German giant TA (Triumph-Adler AG). Under this umbrella Jacques Gaudet operates. Courtois purchased by JA Musik
• 2006 JA Musik bought by Buffet Crampon Group
• 2009 ‘Legend’ trumpet was introduced
• 2013 Buffet bought B&S in Markneukirchen, Germany and moved Courtois manufacturing there
• 2016 now only making trombones, flugelhorns & baritones