Brass over-the-shoulder E-flat bass saxhorn, European manufacture for the American market, circa 1855-1865. Overall length fifty-four inches. Constructed throughout of yellow brass, the long tapered bell tube terminating in a broadly flared bell with reinforced rolled rim, the bell directed rearward over the player's shoulder in the characteristic American military configuration. Three top-action piston valves in cylindrical casings with knurled screw caps and disc-form finger buttons, the valve cluster mounted at the forward end of the body with valve slides looping in the conventional arrangement. Tubing joined by turned brass ferrules with soldered seams throughout; longitudinal seam visible along the bell tube. The instrument carries no maker's name, retailer's stamp, or other marking, as is typical of imported instruments supplied unmarked to American dealers.

Uncleaned and untouched surface retaining an even, warm mellow patina with areas of darker toning and light verdigris in the crevices. Body, bell tube, bows, and bell free of dents, dings, or losses.  There is a small crack measuring just under 1” in length, approx. 14” up from the bottom of the bell tube, but it does not affect playability.  All joints and ferrules original throughout, with no evidence of repair or restoration. Valve cluster complete, with all three pistons, stems, and finger buttons present and functioning; the instrument remains in perfect playing condition. Bell rim sound and true. An exceptional and entirely original example, rarely encountered in this state of preservation. Mouthpiece not present.

The over-the-shoulder saxhorn is among the most immediately recognizable objects of Civil War military music. Developed from the graduated family of valved brass instruments patented by Adolphe Sax in Paris in 1845, the form was quickly taken up for American military use, the bell reoriented to project rearward over the player's shoulder. The arrangement was purpose-built for the march: with the band at the head of a moving column, the sound carried backward to the troops following, rather than being lost forward into open air.

American demand for band instruments in the 1850s and early 1860s far outran domestic production, and a substantial proportion of the horns carried by volunteer bands were imported - supplied by workshops in Saxony and Bohemia and distributed through American music houses, frequently entering the trade without maker's marking of any kind. The E-flat bass anchored the standard brass band of the period, supplying the foundation beneath the E-flat and B-flat sopranos, altos, and tenors. Regimental bands were widespread in the volunteer service during the first year of the war, performing at dress parade, guard mounting, and on the march, and frequently serving as stretcher bearers and hospital attendants in action. The War Department order of July 1862 mustered out the great majority of regimental bands as an economy measure, consolidating musicians into brigade-level organizations; surviving instruments of this type are consequently associated most strongly with the war's early period.   [ss] [ph:L]

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