Collecting Antique Horns

Back about 40 years ago when I began collecting horns, I got a bit of good advice from another collector who was downsizing his very large collection to specialize in Civil War instruments and bands. He cautioned me to aim at a certain field of collecting and to concentrate on that field, otherwise I would end up with an attic full of instruments that wouldn’t tell any kind of story.

I decided that since I live in an area of Wisconsin that was heavily settled by Germans and Irish from 1820 to 1900, I would collect instruments of that origin. In addition, I decided to tell the story of the development of different valve systems.

This has worked to my advantage and I would highly recommend that young collectors follow this path. Joining the 1st Brigade Band helped me to develop relationships with persons of a like mind and interests.

It has been a wonderful journey in that I met many fine and talented people. I also visited many historic places and learned more about the history of brass instruments than I could have at some of the finest universities in the land.

I look forward to continuing this relationship with persons like myself who absolutely love music history.