Hi Ukeman,
Thanks for the new post. You now have added all the information in the description of the 'book', rather than as a new post, but it clears up some questions.
I must say this particular kind of forum/communicator is not as user friendly as some other forums. Especially since there indeed seems to be no apparent way to post pictures, which is what we need for identifying purposes. However, kenton has posted pictures in the "New Additions" section, so there must be a way...
@kenton could you share a short 'how to' on posting pictures?
Books
General Topics
Danbury NC Town Band 1880's Posts
I did find this:
https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/SK0008.pdf
"Such prominent men as Robert B. Glenn, Drs. W. V. and W. L. McCanless, J. W. Pepper, and J. Spot Taylor in 1882 organized a cornet band."
Could the "J. W. Pepper" be the well-known Maker/Dealer from Philadelphia? If so, he is out of his way, but what are the odds?
https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/SK0008.pdf
"Such prominent men as Robert B. Glenn, Drs. W. V. and W. L. McCanless, J. W. Pepper, and J. Spot Taylor in 1882 organized a cornet band."
Could the "J. W. Pepper" be the well-known Maker/Dealer from Philadelphia? If so, he is out of his way, but what are the odds?
Okay, the odds are apparently bigger than I initially thought.
There were several Peppers in and around Danbury at the time, so that makes it a lot less likely that it was the well-known Maker/Dealer from Philadelphia.
I have not yet found any with the initials JW connected to Danbury though...
There were several Peppers in and around Danbury at the time, so that makes it a lot less likely that it was the well-known Maker/Dealer from Philadelphia.
I have not yet found any with the initials JW connected to Danbury though...
The Danbury Peppers have no known connection to the horn dealers/makers. Dr. John Pepper came to Danbury from Germanton NC after the county of Stokes split in 1849. He was a physician who founded a local newspaper in 1872, The Danbury Reporter. One of John's sons was an original member of the cornet band, originally assigned a horn, but changed to the bass drum. Four horns were found in the attic of the old Taylor Store building, converted to a fire department in the 1960's. The store owner, Spotswood Taylor, was an original member of the band.
The horns were restored by Bob Pallansch in the 1990's. They are on permanent loan to the local historical society. They were purchased from Ludden & Bates in Savannah GA and are marked with nickel silver medallions, "Silver tone, L & B, Sav. GA."
The horns were restored by Bob Pallansch in the 1990's. They are on permanent loan to the local historical society. They were purchased from Ludden & Bates in Savannah GA and are marked with nickel silver medallions, "Silver tone, L & B, Sav. GA."
Here is a reprint of the information that Ukeman had previously posted.
"Repost of an error filled 1st post with my apologies. The Town of Danbury North Carolina formed a town band in 1882. Four of the original horns survive, Eb alto, Bb tenor, Bb baritone, Eb bass. Top action rotary valves. Don't see how to add pictures."
"Repost of an error filled 1st post with my apologies. The Town of Danbury North Carolina formed a town band in 1882. Four of the original horns survive, Eb alto, Bb tenor, Bb baritone, Eb bass. Top action rotary valves. Don't see how to add pictures."
Let's say third time's the charm; that would have been a very good 1st post...;)
So Ludden & Bates were the dealers who sold the instruments to the Danbury Cornet Band, with their own emblem and their own tradename on them. Look at this 1884 full-page advertisement in the Atlanta paper "The Constitution":
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053750/1884-07-29/ed-1/seq-11/
"MUSIC FOR THE MILLION. Ludden & Bates' Silver Tone Band Instruments"
leads me to believe that "Silver Tone" is their own tradename for the Band Instruments they sell. They mention "Piano and Organ Makers" employed by them, but no mention of Band Instrument Makers directly employed so it is highly unlikely that they did actually make their own Band Instruments.
However, elsewhere on that page, they also claim
"No stencil or Bogus Instruments kept. Actual Makers' name on all we sell"
and
"NO STENCIL INSTRUMENTS SOLD. Every Instrument sold by us bears the makers' name in full, and Is just what it is represented to
be. You know what you are getting and who made It. We represent only genuine manufacturers, who put their own names on their Instruments. No crooked trade for us."
Although those claims may possibly only apply to their "mainstay": pianos and organs.
If there are indeed no other markings on the surviving instruments, their real manufacturer remains unknown.
So Ludden & Bates were the dealers who sold the instruments to the Danbury Cornet Band, with their own emblem and their own tradename on them. Look at this 1884 full-page advertisement in the Atlanta paper "The Constitution":
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053750/1884-07-29/ed-1/seq-11/
"MUSIC FOR THE MILLION. Ludden & Bates' Silver Tone Band Instruments"
leads me to believe that "Silver Tone" is their own tradename for the Band Instruments they sell. They mention "Piano and Organ Makers" employed by them, but no mention of Band Instrument Makers directly employed so it is highly unlikely that they did actually make their own Band Instruments.
However, elsewhere on that page, they also claim
"No stencil or Bogus Instruments kept. Actual Makers' name on all we sell"
and
"NO STENCIL INSTRUMENTS SOLD. Every Instrument sold by us bears the makers' name in full, and Is just what it is represented to
be. You know what you are getting and who made It. We represent only genuine manufacturers, who put their own names on their Instruments. No crooked trade for us."
Although those claims may possibly only apply to their "mainstay": pianos and organs.
If there are indeed no other markings on the surviving instruments, their real manufacturer remains unknown.
Hope this works - sharing link to a photo album of the horns.
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNRKVoV1OvBjOeHOMj1Is2nfETHq1obDXFVtrpg
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNRKVoV1OvBjOeHOMj1Is2nfETHq1obDXFVtrpg
Ludden & Bates actually had their own "Silvertone Cornet Band." We have the original bill of sale, a list of to whom the instruments were assigned, and a list of donation amounts and from whom they were received.
They were found ca. 1989/90 in the attic of the former Taylor family store in Danbury NC, which had been donated to the local fire department when the volunteer organization was formed in the 1960's. I was told by the local historian at the time that when the building was donated, the contents of the store were put into a dump truck and tossed down the hill in the local dump. Either the horns were already in the attic, or someone had the foresight to hide them away. No mouthpieces were with the horns.
Restoration was done by Bob Pallansch. A local music store, Duncan Music, shipped the horns, one-by-one, to Bob as he worked on them. the local Stokes County Historical Society, paid for the restoration. Bob Sheldon, then curator of instruments at the Smithsonian, was sent photographs of the horns and it was his opinion that they were of New York manufacture, possibly Stratton.
They are on permanent loan to the Historical Society and stored, on display, in the history room of the public library in Danbury.
Over the years, parts of the missing instruments have been found, mostly by metal detector in local yards. The lower bout of either the missing alto or tenor horn was found off my front porch, flattened. No one associated with my house or property is known to have been associated with the band.
The band, according to all reports found in the local newspaper, the Danbury Reporter, and local papers from Winston, Salem and Winston-Salem, only existed until 1886 when one of the last reports reads, "what has happened to the Danbury Cornet Band?"
We do know that the baritone player, Robert Glenn, left Danbury for Winston-Salem around that time. He was elected Governor of North Carolina in 1905.
They were found ca. 1989/90 in the attic of the former Taylor family store in Danbury NC, which had been donated to the local fire department when the volunteer organization was formed in the 1960's. I was told by the local historian at the time that when the building was donated, the contents of the store were put into a dump truck and tossed down the hill in the local dump. Either the horns were already in the attic, or someone had the foresight to hide them away. No mouthpieces were with the horns.
Restoration was done by Bob Pallansch. A local music store, Duncan Music, shipped the horns, one-by-one, to Bob as he worked on them. the local Stokes County Historical Society, paid for the restoration. Bob Sheldon, then curator of instruments at the Smithsonian, was sent photographs of the horns and it was his opinion that they were of New York manufacture, possibly Stratton.
They are on permanent loan to the Historical Society and stored, on display, in the history room of the public library in Danbury.
Over the years, parts of the missing instruments have been found, mostly by metal detector in local yards. The lower bout of either the missing alto or tenor horn was found off my front porch, flattened. No one associated with my house or property is known to have been associated with the band.
The band, according to all reports found in the local newspaper, the Danbury Reporter, and local papers from Winston, Salem and Winston-Salem, only existed until 1886 when one of the last reports reads, "what has happened to the Danbury Cornet Band?"
We do know that the baritone player, Robert Glenn, left Danbury for Winston-Salem around that time. He was elected Governor of North Carolina in 1905.
Ukeman, I tried copying your link to my browser, and it wouldn't work there either, so I suspect there may be sometime wrong or missing with it.
Well the link works for me to a folder in my Google account. I thought anyone with the link could have access.
It has been a long time since I used a Google link. But I know that on some of those services you need to specify who can see the link. I wonder if that is the case here?