Getting Sousaphone history right

If you Google the phrase "Sousaphone history," the first website in the list says the following:

THE ORIGINAL SOUSAPHONE For many years there were claims and counter claims about who invented the Sousaphone. The conventional wisdom has held that the instrument was invented by the C. G. Conn company. Indeed, Conn instruments were in use by the Sousa band by 1898. In the course of researching the history of the Pepper company we have found reason to believe that the first bell upright, bass brass instrument was built by the J. W. Pepper Co. in 1893 and displayed at the industrial exhibt [sic] in Philadelphia of that same year.

Close, but not quite right. It was 1895, not 1893, that Pepper built the first Sousaphone. And I have found nothing about it being "displayed at the industrial exhibt in Philadelphia." But this understanding of the origins of the Sousaphone, with the same misspelling of "exhibt," seems to have made the rounds. For example, I found it on a document at the Sousa archives, as well as on an eBay page that provides the history of the tuba. It's also noted here, with the spelling fixed. Just where this story started is unclear, but it's not accurate.

The wikipedia page for "Sousaphone," as well as the website "Sousaphone.net," perpetuate the wrong date of 1893, but say nothing about the "industrial exhibt." But other inaccuracies appear on both pages that need to be fixed (I'll have to look into working on the wikipedia page).

Other websites are way off on the history. For example, the Vienna Symphonic Library states that "Conn made the first Sousaphone in 1908, an instrument invented by the composer John Philip Sousa primarily for outdoor use." Conn did make the first bell-front Sousaphone in 1908, although it was called a Wonderphone, not a Sousaphone! And that was 13 years after Pepper built the first Sousaphone.

Even the Library of Congress, on its website, says "In 1893, Pepper built an instrument that allowed the bell to be pointed upward for the concert setting and forward for the march and called it a sousaphone in honor of the prolific conductor and composer." Not only is the date off,  but the bell was not so flexible - and Sousa wasn't trying to create a new marching instrument anyway.

Musical reference books also get the history wrong. For example, The Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music (revised and enlarged, 1994), says the Sousaphone "was designed by J. P. Sousa for use in his marching bands," and that "they were first made in 1898." Nope! It was a concert instrument first made in 1895.

And The Harvard Dictionary of Music (fourth edition, 2003) says that "Either Pepper or one of his suppliers made the first model in 1892." Pepper, yes, but 1892, no.

Coming very close to the truth is the massive, and recently published Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (second edition, 2014). In the article on "Sousaphone" it states that

The earliest sousaphones, made to Sousa's specifications in the 1890s, had the bell pointed upright and (as described in Sousa's autobiography, Marching Along, Boston, 1928) 'projected the sound upward and mushroomed it over the entire band and audience.' This model, nicknamed 'the rain-catcher,' never became popular, though Sousa favoured it for his concert band, usually in combination with upright tubas.

Interestingly, while the Sousa quote captures the gist, it isn't an actual quote from the book! What Sousa wrote, when recalling how he pitched the idea for the Sousaphone, is this: "I suggested to a manufacturer that we have an upright bell of large size so that the sound would diffuse over the entire band like the frosting on a cake!"

Plus, the idea that the original Sousaphone design, with its upright bell, "never became popular" may be misleading. The bell-front version, which eventually supplanted the bell-up version, didn't appear until 1908, and until that time - and for many years after - the original design is seen in all kinds of bands. But Sousa did stick with the original design, long after it stopped being produced.

The article goes on:

The question of who built the first sousaphone was for many years part of an intense rivalry between the J. W. Pepper and C. G. Conn companies, both of which claimed credit for the instrument. Sousa himself recalled, in an interview published in the Christian Science Monitor of 30 August 1922, that while he was still conductor of the Marine Corps Band (i.e. before August 1892) he suggested the instrument to J. W. Pepper of Philadelphia, who made and named the first Sousaphone. An instrument believed to be the first sousaphone - made by Pepper and dated 1893 - came to light in 1992. . . . By 1898 the Conn Co. had built its own sousaphone and had given it, along with other Conn-made instruments, to Sousa for use in his band. The Conn Sousaphone subsequently became the more commercially successful instrument.

This comes very close to nailing the history. All that is needed are a few date adjustments: Pepper built the horn not in 1893, but in 1895, and it resurfaced not in 1992, but first in 1973, and was ultimately sold back to the Pepper company in 1991. As far as we can tell, Pepper never built another Sousaphone. It was indeed Conn who made the first "commercially successful" horn in 1898. And from that point on, Conn Sousaphones are the only kind seen in the Sousa Band.

The important points that we need to get right about the first Sousaphone are as follows:

• Sousa gave Pepper the idea for the new horn in 1892.
• What he suggested was essentially a modified helicon bass.
• Pepper built the instrument in 1895 at his factory in Philadelphia.
• He dubbed it "The Sousaphone" to honor Sousa.
• It was a concert instrument - not a marching horn.
• Its huge, detachable bell pointed straight up.
• That historic horn never went into production.
• It found its way back to the Pepper company in 1991, where it can be seen today.

The original Sousaphone in concert, May 3, 2015 - 120 years after it was built!

The first Sousaphone's close cousin

Shortly after Pepper built the first Sousaphone, he engraved the bell of the following imported Eb helicon, which is owned today by Brian Johnson:

Here's what it says on the bell (note the serial number):

And here's what is on the bell of the first Sousaphone (again, note the serial number):

Granted, the helicon was a French import, while the Sousaphone was made in house (noted by "Premier" and "Maker"). But they are only 31 horns apart, as far as when they passed through Pepper's factory - meaning that they were most likely both born in 1895. Close cousins indeed!

They bear little resemblance to each other, but it is fun to learn of another Pepper bass from that same year. Here's the relevant page from Pepper's 1894 catalogue:

According to Brian, the horn is one of the large Eb bass helicons, model number 3168, which weighs 13.5 pounds and has a bell diameter of 14.5 inches. It sold back then for a whopping $52.62!

Here's what Brian shared with me about how he acquired the horn:

The story of how I got this helicon is just being in the right place at the right time.  I play in the two Harbors, Minnesota City Band. We play a concert in the park every Thursday night during the summer. Two Harbors is a common tourist stop on the north shore of Lake Superior. After a concert one Thursday in 2014, My wife and I got into a conversation with some of the tourists. I was playing a 1912 Martin, so we got to talking about tubas. The fellow said, “My dad was a music teacher up in Virginia, MN and he had an old helicon, would you like it?” Sight unseen, I said yes. It took a couple of months, but we got together and he delivered the horn pictured (along with a 1911 double belled euphonium). We talked instruments for a couple of hours and I had the horns. I found out that the horns had been in storage for a long time. Before 2015, this helicon hadn’t been played for 80 years or more.  I have put some money into the helicon, removing dents, soldering and a couple of finger buttons made (by Lee Stofer). I did have to have it tuned, because it was a low pitch horn.  I play the horn when I march with the St. Paul Police Band. Tubas march in the first rank, so I’m front and center during the Winter Carnival and St. Patrick Day parades. I also play it for a few other parades during the year. I likely will solo with it this summer with the Two Harbors Band.

The first Sousaphone - a closer look

While I've shared some great images of the first Sousaphone earlier in this blog (from a museum visit in 2012), here are a few more from the week I had this historic horn in my home prior to playing it in concert last Spring:

The shoulder pad is not original, of course, nor are the mouthpiece and neck.

Where the bell and body connect. Note the vertical squiggly lines, which
are to be matched up in order to have the bell in the right position.

The horn as it comes apart.

Top view of the valve cluster. Having only three valves might have been a strike against it,
which may in part explain why Sousa switched to using a Conn horn in 1898.

Bottom view of the valve cluster - the main tuning slide curves in and under in such a way
 that digs into one's ribs. Not the best design!

Bottom view of the valves, showing the unusual vent holes.

Side view of valves, showing serial number of 8800 (which is also on the bell).

Historically accurate neck, made by Matt Walters of Dillon Music
(original neck and mouthpiece were lost).

Showing detail on the tuning slides

Close up of the stamped brass that is found on many parts of the horn

Engravings on the front of the bell (note the words "Sousa" and "Phone" in the twirling ribbon. This may
be the very first use of this term - the name Pepper gave to this horn, in order to honor Sousa.

Engraving of Sousa toward the top of the bell. The uniform he is wearing is from the 1894 season, which
helps to hone in on a date for when the horn was made (now confirmed as 1895).

The original Sousaphone in concert

While doing research on the history of the Sousaphone over the past few years, one of the biggest surprises that occurred was the offer to play the original Sousaphone, built by J. W. Pepper in 1895, in my community band for its 20th anniversary concert on May 3, 2015. Now I can check off something on my bucket list before I even have one!

George Class, with whom I have worked closely at the Pepper company, was the one who gladly made the offer and helped with all of the arrangements.

George Class with me at the concert on May 3, 2015

Once we got the enthusiastic "green light" from our director (who is also a tuba player), the plans for the concert took a distinctly Sousa turn. He scheduled four marches by the great bandmaster (three in the program, and one as an encore), and a dixieland piece that allowed Sousa's creation to be featured in a quintet for part of the piece.

Here's what we said in the program about the strange-looking tuba that had joined the band for that special concert:

And here are a few photos from the rehearsal the week before, during which a couple of reporters from The Philadelphia Inquirer showed up (my director had tipped them off!) to create a front page feature about the horn and the concert:

Being interviewed by Kristin Holmes and Tom Gralish of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Working on the Original Dixieland Concerto

The concert on Sunday was recorded, so here are the relevant videos:

At the end of the concert, I met with folks out in the atrium to let them see the original Sousaphone up close and personal. It was a great day!

The original Sousaphone on its own

Click here for a brief video clip of the original Sousaphone on its own (and yes, the date of the horn is incorrect in the video itself- it should say 1895 there as well).

J.W.P. Sousaphones for sale - finally!

While J. W. Pepper designed and built the first Sousaphone in 1895, it appears that he didn't start selling Sousaphones until a decade later. Here's what appeared in Pepper's Musical Times and Band Journal toward the end of 1905 (vol. 19, no. 222):

There are a number of very curious - if not outright questionable - things revealed on this page.

First of all, there is the photo of Herman Conrad, who is listed as playing the "BBb Bass Sousaphone" in "Sousa's Concert Band." However, the image dates back to at least 1895, and Conrad had left the Sousa Band at some point in 1903. Further, he had only played the original Pepper Sousaphone in that band in 1896 and perhaps 1897 (we only have confirmation for 1896). From 1898 through 1903, Conrad played various versions of C. G. Conn's first Sousaphone, so the testimonial here is very misleading.

However, perhaps the quote is from before 1898, when only the original Pepper Sousaphone existed, but that would make it irrelevant to the Sousaphones featured on this page! My guess is that Conrad never even tried one of the horns seen here.

Second, and related to that, the testimonial appears to be an adapted version of what Conrad had said about Pepper's Premier BBb Bass at some point (referring to a standard tuba, or perhaps a helicon) which appears on page 9 of the 1905 catalogue:

The only difference between these two testimonials is the horn mentioned - both after Conrad's name, and at the end of the quote. In other words, it appears that Pepper simply borrowed the previous testimonial and added the word "Sousaphone" in order to sell the Sousaphones that he was now (finally!) selling. Conrad may have had no idea what was going on!

Third, it does appear that Pepper was stretching the truth about the horns featured. Just below the image of the Eb Sousaphone he said, "We Guarantee These Sousaphones to be Absolutely Perfect In Tune, Tone, Workmanship and Quality of Materials." Wow! A guarantee of absolute perfection? Nothing like a little exaggeration to sell horns, huh?!

It may be that Pepper pushed things a bit because he was frustrated with how people had forgotten that he, and not Conn, had built the first Sousaphone all those years ago. Note what he said in the explanatory paragraph right above the bell of the BBb horn:

The telling sentence is toward the end: "Remember that we are the sole originators of this style of basses, and all others [referring to Conn, I presume?] are imitations of these magnificent large-proportioned monsters."

"Imitations," indeed - Pepper created the first one. However, the Pepper Sousaphones of 1905 were significantly different from the original Sousaphone of 1895. For example, while the latter was built entirely in the Pepper factory (part of his "Premier - Own Make" line), these new horns were imports of a sort.

In his Everything Musical catalogue for 1912, Pepper commented about his "American Favorite" line, to which these Sousaphones belonged: "We call it 'American Favorite' because it is the favorite line in all parts of America." But then he explained that "Our own shops design the model and fix the grade of material that goes into every part of these Instruments." The horns themselves, however, were apparently built elsewhere, while "the tuning and general inspection" as well as "the high-grade plating" were done "right on our own premises." All of this was apparently a way to keep the cost down, in comparison with the "Premier - Own Make" line.

And what would one of these "magnificent large-proportioned monsters" set you back in 1905? Here's what it says about the larger of the two horns (which had a 28 inch diameter bell - did you catch that?!):

Pepper's 1906 catalogue featured these same horns, in almost the exact same layout, on its bright yellow back page:

Courtesy of the Oberlin College Library

These Sousaphones also appeared on page 14 of the 1907 catalogue, but that was the last time they were featured in an annual catalogue. Apparently they didn't sell all that well.

In fact, the only other time I came across one of these horns in a Pepper publication was on an insert to the 1912 catalogue that listed used instruments:

Courtesy of the Hagley Library

The cost on the left ($94) was the original cost of the Eb Sousaphone in brass finish (close - it was $96); the cost on the right ($55) was the sale price in 1912.

Finally, one of the Eb horns (in silver plate) can still be seen today in the Don Johnson Exhibit at the Marion County Heritage Center in Lebanon, KY:

Courtesy of Don Johnson