TubeNet

Hi-
Just curious as to who owns an original BELL UP 'Raincatcher" Sousaphone(s) (not a sousaphone/helicon converted to a raincatcher, but all original).
I know Mike Lynch, Don Harry, Mark Chalabala and yours truly own one or more, and several museums have them also. I know of the JW Pepper original that has Sousa's image engraved on it & Lee Stofer has a neat one for sale too.
If you do own one or more, is/are yours:
--brass or silver
--3 or 4 valves
-- maker (Conn, Holton, King, etc.) and model # if known
--date made and/ or serial #
--bell diameter and bore size ( if known )
--add a jpeg to your post of yours if you want

It will interesting to see just how many originals are out in TubeNet land...

Thanks-
Mark

Key - Eb
silver
3 valve
Coleman-Missenharter
# 12125 (1893-1917)

A reclusive band director in Chicago owns a Holton "Chief" raincatcher. This horn has 3 short-action valves, a fairly large bore, and an extremely ornate bell depicting John Kuhn as a Native American "Chief" replete with a feathered headdress.
The horn has a copper color to it; I do not know how close that comes to the original finish. The owner claims that he has a case for the horn that has the name "Isham Jones" on it. It plays well.

The owner is NOT interested in selling.

Don Harry owns a virtual twin to this horn.

LJV wrote:

Steve Marcus wrote:A reclusive band director in Chicago owns a Holton "Chief" raincatcher. This horn has 3 short-action valves, a fairly large bore, and an extremely ornate bell depicting John Kuhn as a Native American "Chief" replete with a feathered headdress.
The horn has a copper color to it; I do not know how close that comes to the original finish. The owner claims that he has a case for the horn that has the name "Isham Jones: on it.

John Kuhn with Isham Jones Band:

Neat photos. So it looks like a pretty good bet that he actually has John Kuhn's personal horn. How cool is that. Leave it to Tubenet to connect the dots. There is another Muni Band Director in the western Chicago burbs who has an all original 1896 Conn BBb Raincatcher which plays very well. Currently getting a little TLC from Lee Stofer. The New Sousa Band used two raincatchers in their concert this past Saturday in Aurora< IL and they sounded great. Tubenet's very own Mark Jones was one of the Raincatcher players. Both he and the band sounded great. Excellent concert - the band is well worth hearing if you have the chance. Willie Clark had an excellent flute & tuba duet out front.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgTPR7BedZ4" target="_blank

tofu - I'd love to see photos of the really old Conn souspaphone you mentioned above, owned by the band directer in the Chicago area. You say it's from 1896, but Conn didn't build it's first sousaphone until 1898, and yet if it's about that old, that would make it one of the very first.

Dave Detwiler wrote:tofu - I'd love to see photos of the really old Conn souspaphone you mentioned above, owned by the band directer in the Chicago area. You say it's from 1896, but Conn didn't build it's first sousaphone until 1898, and yet if it's about that old, that would make it one of the very first.

I was given the date by Lee Stofer when he stopped by my place with it on his way back to Iowa to work on it. It's entirely possible that he said 1898 and I just misheard him. I know I was impressed that it was pre-1900 as I did not know they were even produced before the turn of the century. Perhaps if Lee is perusing this thread he can chime in. I'll take some photos and post them when it comes back from Lee's shop.

Well, this one turned up at the Tuba Christmas at Disneyland for a couple years back in 2007 and 2008. The kid said he found it in the attic of the band room at his Christian high school in San Diego. I am not sure who actually owns it, but it played great and was in pretty good shape when I saw it last.

tofu - that would be great. This summer I stumbled into what has become a hobby for me - researching the history of the sousaphone. I've had the chance to see (and in one case, even play) some of the earliest sousaphones ever made, including the very first, made by J. W. Pepper.

But the earliest Conn horn I have come across, courtesy of a fellow-TubeNetter, is one of the first 10 to be made in that factory, and I have been able to positively date it to 1899. But Conn's very first sousaphone, built a year earlier, and seen in Sousa's Band that year (photo below), remains to be located today. I'm wondering if it might perhaps be the one you have mentioned.

I've been posting my findings, little by little, in my blog at http://www.tubapastor.blogspot.com

I know that a friend of mine, Mike, in Two Harbors, MN has an original raincatcher. It is in BBb. Mike was a member of the Navy band in the 1960's. He's had this horn for at least 50 years. He doesn't play it much anymore. He likes to play bass guitar. I'm not sure on the brand, I think it's a Conn, because I haven't seen it in years. I know it is matt silver and has 3 valves. I do not know the date of manufacture.

Dave Detwiler wrote:tofu - that would be great. This summer I stumbled into what has become a hobby for me - researching the history of the sousaphone. I've had the chance to see (and in one case, even play) some of the earliest sousaphones ever made, including the very first, made by J. W. Pepper.

But the earliest Conn horn I have come across, courtesy of a fellow-TubeNetter, is one of the first 10 to be made in that factory, and I have been able to positively date it to 1899. But Conn's very first sousaphone, built a year earlier, and seen in Sousa's Band that year (photo below), remains to be located today. I'm wondering if it might perhaps be the one you have mentioned.

I've been posting my findings, little by little, in my blog at http://www.tubapastor.blogspot.com

1898 Sousa Band (from Sousa Archives - close up of Conrad).jpg

Hi-
Great blog & research!!!
Mark

A final bump--any others not already listed? There must be others owned by Tubenetters that are original......

Mark

I have a 1926-27 Conn raincatcher, and the bell is almost completely dent-free!



It is three valve, satin silver with bright highlights.


The gentleman I bought it from, found it in his father's attic, when he was settling the estate. It was clearly not used too much!

BTW, nice looking mouthpiece with your Conn.
Mark

Hi, Mark;
I own a Conn 42K Grand Jumbo; silver plated, gold wash bell, three valves. I played her on a silent film gig last Saturday. I named her "Donna" after the World's Oldest Hippo in the Evansville Zoo.
I know of another Jumbo Raincatcher with four valves other than that young man's in California, but the owner is not interested in selling.
There's also a Holton (regular valves) regular-sized Raincatcher with three valves that I believe is for sale...but unfortunately it has been refinished. Apparently the seller's Father did not care for the horn's silver plating, so he had it all removed and had the horn lacquered!
As an aside, I found the Holton that is now owned by Don Harry; it was in an auction in Milwaukee. It wasn't for sale in the auction...the auctioneer was wearing it and blew into it before announcing each lot that was coming up for bid!

I think we met at Don's John Kuhn exhibit when he & I did some demos together....
Mark

PS--Congratulations on owning & using 'Donna!' BTW, The auctioneer story anout Don's 'Chief' raincatcher is really incredible!!!! And--I bet there are folks on this Board who will want that lacquered , formerly silver (sigh....) Holton raincatcher...

Thanks, Mark;
We did indeed meet at the John Kuhn exhibit. I enjoyed that event so much; I'm really glad I attended.
Donna was manufactured around 1924 and she sports a 26" bell. Forgot to add that info earlier. I found a vintage Conn Chief mouthpiece in a local Kijiji ad for $15 (!) and that seems to work really well with this horn.
Here's a picture of me trying to imitate John Hart's pose from an early Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra photo.

Great pic and nice looking 'big' raincatcher--very cool!!
Mark

I have this 1925 vintage Conn. Never lacquered. Plays great.

Sam-
Sweet!!!

Mark