Music & Musical Instruments

This kit was made by Henry Jay in London, England, about 1750. It is made of a one-piece table of spruce, body carved from one piece of maple cut on 45o slab, painted ink representation of purfling on table and back, neck “V” grafted to an 18th-century English neck, pegbox and closed scroll with one volute; two bone pegs for the “e” and “a” strings are probably original, and orange-brown varnish. This instrument has a handwritten label fragment:

Hen J
Lon[i]n 52[ ]

In 18th-century England, “kit” was used to describe an instrument with a small violin body and a long neck, used in the same manner as a pochette, or dancemaster’s fiddle. This instrument was probably made by Henry Jay who worked in London, from 1740 to 1776, and specialized in the kit. This maker is not to be confused with Henry Jay of Southwarke (1615-1667), the famous English viol maker.

This flute was made by Rudall & Rose in London, England around 1832 to 1837. It is a 9-keyed flute, serial #3329, made of rosewood with silver ferrules and keys with specialized keywork on the upper joint. This flute is stamped:

RUDALL & ROSE
No. 15 PIAZZA
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON
3329

This flute features the British Patent #6,338 awarded to George Rudall and John Mitchell Rose on November 27, 1832 for “Improvements on or in the construction of flutes,” specifically for an improvement in the tuning mechanism in the head joint.

This flute was made by Richard John Bilton in London, England around 1826 to 1856. It is a 4-keyed flute made of boxwood with ivory ferrules and silver keys. This flute is stamped:

BILTON
LONDON
[unicorn head]BRIDGE ROAD

This trumpet was made by an unknown maker in England around 1825 to 1827. It is an F slide trumpet made of copper and brass with silver garnishes and a heavily chased silver ball. The trumpet features a double clock slide spring mechanism.

This trumpet was previously owned by Philadelphia composer and musician John T. Norton, a Professor of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, who emigrated from London to the United States in 1827. W.G. Armstrong in his book, A Record of Opera in Philadelphia, indicates Norton’s first appearance in Philadelphia was at the King’s Theatre. Norton also performed with traveling opera troupes in New Orleans and New York.

This horn was made by Joseph Higham in Manchester, England, around 1881-1898. It is a baritone horn, serial #43270, made of silver-plated brass, with 3 piston valves. The horn is engraved:

1st CLASS
EXHIBITION
PRIZE MEDAL
AWARDED
LONDON 1862 & DUBLIN 1865
TO
J. HIGHAM
MAKER
127
STRANGEWAYS
MANCHESTER
ENGLAND
43270
LYON & HEALY
SOLE AGENTS
CHICAGO

Joseph Higham (1818-1883) established his business at 127 Strangeways in Manchester, England in 1842. From about 1881 to 1898, Higham was in partnership with Lyon & Healy in Chicago as sole agents to sell his instruments in the United States.

As indicated in the inscription, Higham was awarded 1st class prize medals for his musical instruments at The International Exhibition of 1862, or Great London Exposition and The International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures held in Dublin in 1865.

This flute was made by Goulding & Co. in London, England around 1795 to 1805. It is a 1-keyed flute made of stained boxwood with ivory ferrules and a brass key. This flute is stamped:

GOULDING & CO.

This trumpet was made by an unknown maker in England, around 1833 to 1837. It is a G trumpet made of brass with two ivory topped Stölzel model piston valves and accessioned with four crooks, in E-flat, F, D, and C.

Heinrich David Stölzel (1777-1844) was born in Scheeberg, Germany and was a horn player who developed some of the first valves for brass instruments. Stölzel developed this type of valve around 1814.

This harpsichord was made by Thomas Barton in London, in 1730. It is a bentside spinet with a compass of GG - g3, and has a disposition of 1 x 8’. The soundboard is made of spruce. This instrument has ivory naturals with arcaded fronts and skunktail accidentals in ebony and ivory. The nameboard is inscribed:

Thomas Barton MDCCXXX Londini Fecit.

The inseparable outer case and trestle stand are made of mahogany. There are three long brass hinges along the spine and three shorter brass hinges on the keyboard cover. The lock plate and cover hinges feature a filigree design.

This harpsichoard was previously owned by Morris Steinert, a musical instrument and sheet music dealer in New Haven, Connecticut. This spinet was displayed at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, in Chicago. Steinert presented lectures and played this instrument with about 60 others from his collection at the exposition.