J. Landress Brass

This is what I believe is to be a prototype cornet made by A. Lecomte and Gustav Besson in 1857 before Besson left Paris for London.  The cornet is numbered 0 and has both Lecomte and Besson makers marks.  This cornet is also unusual as it has German Silver balusters, bell garland, ferrurls, pistons and caps.  This was generally used in German made brass instruments of the time.

Another unique feature of this instrument is the valve valve casing port tubes.  They are in a "S" shape which would be later used in Lecomte's short stroke oval pistons of later years.

Lecomte worked for Gautrot and opened his own factory in 1859 and was in business until 1889 when the company merged with Thibouville.

Koenig Model 0.458" bore serial 7811 dating to 1870.  This horn is in mint original condition with original mahogany case.  The labels inside the case are original and in exceptional.  Also has original cleaning rod, mouthpiece and tuning bits.

Stamped: Koenig Model
                (1855 circular stamp)
               Medaille
               Londres 1862
               Exposition Universelle
               Paris 1867
               Medaille d'Honneur
               en Argent
               Antoine Courtois
               Brevete
               Facteur du Conservatoire 
               88, rue des Marais St. Martin
               Paris
               S. Arthur Chappell
               Sole Agent 
               52 New Bond Street
               London
Bell rim #: 4086

Arban model Serial number 8072 dating from 1872.  It is believed that this is the horn that won the 1st prize medal at the 1872 Moscow Polytechnic Exhibition.  It is in original silver plate and I have not restored it or performed any work on it since acquiring it.  The bell stamping and engraving reads as followed:

In medal" "GS"Medaille
Stamped: Londres 1862 
               Exposition Universelle 
               Paris 1867
               Medaille d'Honneur
               en Argent 
               Antoine Courtois
               Brevete
               Facteur du Conservatoire 
               88, rue des Marais 
               Paris
Engraved 1er Prix       
               Medaille d'Or         
               Exposition de Moscou
               1872

Emerson Model 0.474" bore serial 16793 dating to 1889.  This is only 1 or 3 Emerson Model Courtois cornets I know to exist, one belonging to my friend Niles Eldredge and the other at the museum in Vermillion which is the original made in 1881 for Walter Emerson,  This model differs from the other Courtois models of the time by having a monstrous 0.474" bore and 5" bell flair.  The horn I have has 3 small patches and I have yet to perform a restoration.

Stamped:  Emerson Model
                Medaille
                Londres 1862
                Exposition Universelle
                Paris 1867
                Medaille d'Honneur
                en Argent
                Antoine Courtois & Mille
                Mille Sr
                Facteur du Conservatoire National
                88, rue des Marais St. Martin
                Paris
                1er Prix
                Grande Medaille D'Or
                Exposition de Moscou 1872
                & Medaille D'Or Paris 1878, 1889
                J. Howard Foote
                Sole U S agent
                New York and Chicago

This Lecomte cornet features oval shaped valve ports allowing for an extremely short stroke of the valves, about half the distance of a normal piston.

F. Besson Paris Bell Tuner cornet.  This cornet is numbered 6964 and is all original.  Valve compression in this horn is extremely tight with original brass valves.  

1876 F. Besson London Louis Schriber cornet.  This horn is ornately engraved on bell, ferruls and caps with gold wash in the bell.    All original and restored.

1930's JTL pocket cornet.  This cornet is unrestored and has been relacquered at some point.  It is in overall good condition but has some non original parts.  The fingerhook is unique and it is unknown if it is original.  Stamped:

CONCORD CLASS
JEROME
THIBOUVILLE-LAMY
LONDON

MADE IN FRANCE