A Timeline of Sousaphone History

When I stumbled upon this hobby of digging into Sousaphone history during the summer of 2012, I only intended to see if I could uncover the truth about the so-called "Original Sousaphone" up at the Interlochen Center for the Arts (see this post). But I soon discovered that there was more to clear up, as websites and print resources - and even the best Sousa biographies - were seldom saying the same thing about the early history of the Sousaphone.

It's been a lot of fun, and I have ended up exploring far beyond those earliest years of the instrument that bears the name of the greatest band leader the world has ever known. The results of my research are posted below, although there are many other posts that are not linked here. You'll have to scroll through the blog to catch those.

I'll keep this timeline toward the top as a matter of convenience. But I'll keep posting things below it, as I find them, that are interesting and relevant to the unfolding story of Sousaphone history. Enjoy!

1845 - Helicon (forerunner to Sousaphone) first produced in Vienna
1853 - James Welsh Pepper is born on March 8 in Philadelphia, PA
1854 - John Philip Sousa is born on November 6 in Washington, D.C.
1867 - Herman Conrad is born on April 21 in Danzig, West Prussia
1879 - J. W. Pepper publishes the first of eleven Sousa marches
1883 - Sousa visits Pepper's first factory, supervised by Henry Distin
1888 - Conrad is recruited by Gilmore after emigrating to Detroit
1890 - Factory where the first Sousaphone will be created is built
1892 - Sousa gives Pepper the idea for the Sousaphone
1893-95 - Sousa tolerates one or possibly two helicons in his band
1895 - Pepper builds and names the first Sousaphone
1896 - Pepper's new horn goes on tour with the Sousa Band
1896 - Earliest known reference to a "Sousaphone" in a newspaper
1896 - More detailed report on Pepper's new horn in The Dominant
1897 - C. G. Conn builds giant tubas for both Brooke and Innes
1898 - Conn produces his first Sousaphone, called a "Monster"

1898-1903 - Conn's first Sousaphone evolves through three versions
1899 - Conn company builds its second Sousaphone; sells for $250
1899 - This very early Conn Sousaphone can still be seen today
1899 - Sousaphone seen on the march for the first time
1900 - By April, there are 10 Conn Sousaphones in use
1900 - Sousaphone seen in Europe for the first time (France, Germany)

1900 - Sousaphone seen on the march again - this time in Paris
1901 - Sousaphone seen in England and Scotland for the first time

1902 - Conn introduces its smaller, three-valve Sousaphone

1902 - Earliest sighting of Pepper's Sousaphone after it was with Sousa
1903 - Conn further modifies its "Monster" four-valve Sousaphone

1905 - The Conn Sousaphone at Interlochen was built around this time
1905 - Pepper finally begins selling Sousaphones - but only briefly
1907 - Conn introduces its first Eb Sousaphone
1908 - Conn unveils a bell-front design, the "Wonderphone Helicon"
1909 - Other companies begin making Sousaphones around this time

1914 - Wonderphone Helicons are now called Sousaphone Grands
1915 - Sousa adds a second Sousaphone to his famous band
1919 - Sousa briefly tells the story of the first Sousaphone
1920s - Heyday of the Sousaphone; shows up in all kinds of bands
1920s - Women Sousaphonists begin getting much-deserved publicity
1921 - Sousa goes with all Sousaphones in his bass section
1921 - Warren G. Harding, Sousaphonist, elected President
1921 - Conn begins claiming to have built the original Sousaphone
1921-24 - The legendary Bill Bell plays Sousaphone in Sousa's Band
1922 - Sousa shares more of the story of the first Sousaphone
1924 - Conn builds the world's largest playable Sousaphone
1926 - Conn discontinues upright bell Sousaphones
1928 - Sousa mentions the Sousaphone in his autobiography
1932 - Sousa dies in Reading, PA, after conducting Ringgold Band
1935 - Holton builds its historic mammoth Holtonphone
1936 - Sousaphonist dots the "i" in the script Ohio for the first time
1937 - The first Sousaphone may have been used in Ringgold Band
1942-46 - Conn stops making horns for the public due to the war
1948 - Harry Wenger markets his "Sousaphone Chair-Stand"
1957 - Conn briefly brings back upright bell Sousaphone (21K)
1961 - Conn introduces the first fiberglass Sousaphone
1970 - I start playing the Sousaphone (hey, it's my blog!) More here
1970 - The mislabeled "Original Sousaphone" arrives at Interlochen
1973 - John Bailey finds and buys the Pepper horn at a flea market
1991 - Bailey returns the historic horn to its maker, J. W. Pepper
1994 - A "good-natured debate" about who built the first Sousaphone
1999 - TUBA Journal article says Sousaphone's "Origins a Mystery"
2014 - What I found in the United States Marine Band Library
2015 - The first Sousaphone makes front page news in The Inquirer!
2015 - I play the first Sousaphone with my community concert band
2015 - My article in the ITEA Journal (reprinted in The Brass Herald)
2015 - J. W. Pepper produces documentary on the first Sousaphone
2016 - My second article in the ITEA Journal (and The Brass Herald)
2016 - J. W. Pepper produces documentary for its 140th anniversary
2018 - A display case is finally built for the first Sousaphone

2024 - The story behind the original Sousaphone (on YouTube)

Click here for detailed photos of the first Sousaphone

Author during his heyday as a Sousaphonist at the Swimming Venue of the 1984 Olympics