See that tall guy, all the way to the left, holding a Sousaphone? His name is John Welsh Richardson, although he went by "Jack," and it turns out I've been driving right by him for years now! That is, he is buried in Brownstown, PA, which I pass through on the latter part of my weekly commute from Harleysville to Manheim:
As I have shared earlier in this blog, the original Sousaphone, built by J. W. Pepper in Philadelphia, currently resides at the Pepper headquarters in Exton, which is also right along my weekly commute. The first Sousaphonist, Herman Conrad, spent the latter part of his illustrious music career based in Philadelphia, and then Camden - I pass right by his Ridley Park home every time I go to the airport. And his daughter and son are both buried in nearby Conshohocken (Conrad himself is buried in Detroit, MI, but that's another story).
Even the namesake of the Sousaphone, John Philip Sousa, spent his entire music career out my way: from 1880-1892, he led the United States Marine Band, based in Washington D. C., just a few hours south of me (I've done extensive research in their wonderful library); and from 1892 until his death in 1932, he led his famous civilian band, based in New York City, just a few hours northeast of me. Oh, and Sousa is buried in the Congressional Cemetery in D. C.
I'm not sure if I would have dove in so deeply to this hobby were it not for my geography! But back to Jack . . .
Richardson was the second Sousaphonist that Sousa featured in his touring concert band. Conrad held that conspicuous post from 1895-1903, and when he left the band, Richardson succeeded him as the centerpiece of Sousa's bass section. Here's the notice, from April 1904, in a local Lancaster County, PA, paper, that celebrated this towering tubist (he was six-and-a-half-feet tall!) reaching the top of his profession:
But my goodness - Richardson's history was (almost) all played out right here where I live and work! Knowing that, I visited the Ringgold Band room in Reading last Friday, in the hopes of seeing if they had a photo of Sousa's Band from 1904, which a contact at the Library of Congress told me they did. And if they had it, was it possibly clear enough to get a good look at Richardson, at age 29, right after he was recruited by Sousa?
Well, I struck gold (okay, Ringgold)! Not only did I get a good shot of the whole bass section (seen at the top of this post), but check this out:
So, lots more digging to do, in order to tell his whole story (and again, Conrad comes first!), but this is a great start. I have never seen so clearly this image of Richardson in the very year he started playing with Sousa (and he went on to serve a combined 22 years in that famous band - the longest tenure of any tuba player).
Stay tuned for lots more on this once famous, but now largely forgotten, "Lancaster Countian"!
P. S. Here are a few photos of the Evangelical Cemetery of Brownstown (est. 1918), where Richardson is buried, along with the location of his gravestone:
Exactly why there is a huge Carpenter gravestone sitting almost on top of the Richardson stones is a question I am trying to get answered. The four Richardson stones, from right to left, are: John W. (my guy), Samuel W. (behind the Carpenter gravestone), F. Alma (also partially eclipsed), and then J. Thomas (far left; those two were married). Eight or so feet behind the Carpenter gravestone is the wedge-shaped Richardson stone, marking the family plot.
However, elsewhere in this cemetery, rather than as part of this plot, are those brother's parents, Adam F. and Mary J., as well as another brother, Adam B., and a sister, Susie W. Wolf. Yet one more brother, Aaron W., and sister, Amanda Hahn are not buried here.
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