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Does anyone recognize the bell badge on this horn. I've only found two in Langwell's that exhibit a 'sun face'... 'C Schlegel Basle 1882.14' which I think it too late for this one... and 'Hans Doll which I think is way too early - b. 1582 - died pre 1662).

Four Berliner pumpin Eb.

Now that IS a sweet instrument !!!!
Mark

Drool!

Perhaps it's the original Neptune?

This Herwig has a somewhat similar logo, roughly same time period.
At least there is a sun with rays (covered up by the bird) - since logos can be additive, could have been a merger?
http://www.horn-u-copia.net/picture.php ... g-Tuba.jpg

How does it play?

Could easily be 1882. Very small F tubas with 2+3 Berliner Pumpen were made as lately as around 1906 (I have one). Equally small ones with rotors until up in the 1920-ies. Purpose: very small bands of 6 or 9 members.

Klaus

This oil painting from 1883 shows part of a parade to or from a change of guards in Copenhagen. I don't know which guard is to be changed as it is not the royal guard.

Berliner Pumpen or rotors? Hard to tell from this low resolution .jpg, which is the best version I found on the web. Yet the dimensions of the tuba are not far from the ones of the tuba above here.

Klaus

Klaus... could very well be the same horn. Thanks for posting.

Beautiful instrument, a piece of history
I also wish it was possible to time travel to be able to hear the band,
even if just for a short time, when I see the painting Klaus supplied

Hello Dan,

Your tuba was likely made between ca.1850-1880 and is northeast german in origin, likely Markneukirchen or somewhere closeby.
The sun engraving is probably not by the same maker who did the leaves on the shield, usually because the maker, dealer, or players name would be engraved instead.
It looks as if someone at some point has modified the tuba for movable slides as the original would often have fixed slides.
Beautiful tuba, more pictures please!

Best regards from Berlin,
2165

Hi-
That CDV image of the soldier and his horn is truly great!!!!
Mark

Hi-
A couple of my CDV's of somewhat 'similar' type instruments...enjoy-mark

Hi-
Just got some info on this horn (which I am acquiring ) from my friend Dr. Herbert Heyde, who just retired as Assoc. Curator of the Met, and who has written numerous books and articles while in East Germany...if anyone knows, he does. Just thought I'd share the info...FYI...Mark

Hello Mark,
Sorry for not answering earlier. To my mind your tuba is based on the Moritz/ Wieprecht design but not made by Moritz nor in a Berlin workshop. It is most probably one of those tubas built in one of the numerous workshops in Markneukirchen and sourrounding towns (Untersachsenberg, Klingenthal, Adorf, usw.) and sent to American wholesalers. Those tubas have as I have seen them no makers name but always a plaque which is often filled with ornaments. Like in the Moritz tubas the plaque was actually designed for the maker's name but American wholesalers tended to order them without them so that they had the option to fill the space with another (sale promoting) name or with their own. Some ordered them without ornaments.
It is difficult to put a date on your instrument, but I would date it to the years 1848-1852, approximately. At that time about 50 % of the production was exported to the US. In Vermillion they have a 3-valve tuba (2902) with nice ornaments, featuring an inscription according to which the instrument was owned by a sharpshooter company in Lauban (Silesia, now in Poland). For now, it won't be able to identify the workshop. There were dozens of small, mostly one-person workshops in town and surroundings that used prefabricated cylindrical tubes, valves and bells supplied by other workshops, and put them together. There were a few engravers in town or close by who embellished the instruments upon order.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Regards, Herbert