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A friend of mine picked this up at an antique store because she plays horn and thought it was interesting. All I know is that it's some sort of mellophone, piston, horn thingy and it's made by J.W. York and Sons. It looks like it has some sort of adapter in the receiver, because I brought a horn mouthpiece and went way too far in. It looks like it's supposed to take a trumpet sized mouthpiece. And what are the two rotary valves for? It looks like they're missing the levers and everything to operate them. Any guess as to the key? Probably Eb?

Any help would be great! She (and I) are curious to know what it is!

This is a mellophone, which is a form of an alto horn. It is most likely in the key of Eb. The valves are change valves to change to key. They could be to change it to Bb, D, or F. They don't have levers because they are intended to be used to change the key and leave it there rather than to be used while playing, other than perhaps if you have time during a rest.

Mellophone in F with switch valves for Eb, D, and, combined, C.

The little shunt slide allows for E.

Valve slides to be pulled accordingly for the various pitches.

My take on the purpose:

Touring operas through smaller towns only was possible with very small pit orchestras. This instrument allowed the single trumpet player to cover next to all horn solos without transposing and without changing mouthpiece.

Klaus

But her a Don Elliott recoding so she can hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUk9MpOjKwQ" target="_blank" target="_blank

Thanks for the replies! Very informative!

It almost looks like an antoniophone.

According to an extensive article at Al's Mellophone Page, the illustrated instrument is a 5 valve York and Sons Mellophone from about 1910, which plays in F, Eb, D and C. The article gives a lot of history on the Mellophone in its various incarnations:
http://www.alsmiddlebrasspages.com/mell ... story.html

I have one that is very similar - the valve slides are marked for each pitch, but it is not quite accurite accurate. Interesting instrument!

Accurite?

It is a word in my computer - spell check didn't flag it... I never was a grate spellr.

tbn.al wrote:But her a Don Elliott recoding so she can hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUk9MpOjKwQ" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

His instrument doesn't look the same? Solo starts at 1:00 in this clip

Lingon wrote: His instrument doesn't look the same? in this clip

Same axe, different wrap, and keyed in F. This was a custom version made by Conn, it was stolen and never recovered.

Conn also made the infamous mellophoniums for the Kenton orchestra in 1960, they were essentially the traditional version unwrapped a ¼ turn to be bellfront. (Guy Lombardo's brother Carmen, of all people, played an earlier version of one on Dixieland numbers!)

The Kenton instruments inspired the drum and bugle corps to develop a marching version in G, in 1963. This innovation soon found its way over to U.S. marching bands, and more compact mellophones in F are now a staple on the football field (replacing French Horns).

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