Most band musicians are at least vaguely aware that C. G. Conn once made the best band instruments in the world. In particular, he made the best Sousaphones, with his first one coming out in 1898, and his bell-forward design, called a "Wonderphone," hitting the market in 1908 (that's Conn himself, at the left, with the tuba version of a "Wonderphone").
But did you know that, when he was 74, Conn had a son, Charles Gerard Conn Jr., with his mistress, Suzanne Conn (no relation), who he later married? And did you further know that he was a big-time yachtsman, a big-game fisherman, and an automobile enthusiast - as well as an occasional politician?
Here's what I've collected so far on this towering figure of American music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
(For posts about Conn Sousaphones, click here; the posts below will focus more on Conn's personal life and work.)
1897 - Conn opens a branch store in New York City
1908 - This may have been Conn's most impactful invention
1908 - Conn makes an epic road trip from Elkhart to Los Angeles
1913 - Forty-four postcards showing the work in Conn's factory
2021 - My son and I visit the Conn mansion in Elkhart (seen below)
2021 - My son and I also visit Conn's final resting place
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