Clues from a Pepper journal in 1896

Here's the front page of J. W. Pepper's Musical Times and Band Journal, vol. xiv, no. 159, which appears to have been published in early 1896 (the only date seen on this image is the oval stamp between the two guys in the upper right, which says "Library of Congress copyright April 29 1896"):

Image courtesy of George B. Class at J. W. Pepper

A close up of the face and caption in the upper left corner suggests that the Sousaphone made by Pepper existed by this time, and was being played in Sousa's Band:

Combined with what we concluded a few posts below, we now can narrow the date that the first Sousaphone was built to no earlier than 1894 and no later than early 1896.