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I've been working my way through some old microfilms of J. W. Pepper publications, and I thought you all might enjoy seeing the following:

WOW! Perfectly in-tune AND tone! Wish they were still around!

That helicon sure looks like an E-flat, despite being described as a BB-flat.

The helicon does resemble an Eb. This add says the bell diameter is 20 inches. I have an 1893 J.W.Pepper Eb helicon. The bell diameter is 14.5 inches. The mouthpiece, tuning bit and lead pipe look identical. Yes, it is very easy blowing and it does have a big sound. Tone is pretty good too. I'm still working on the tuning. It is a low pitch and needs some adjustment to play 440. Mine is the bright brass version (which currently needs some polishing).

WC8KCY wrote:That helicon sure looks like an E-flat, despite being described as a BB-flat.

The viewpoint of the engraving looks like the 3rd and 4th branches disappear behind the first branch. Look at the angle and shading where the 3rd branch "meets" the first branch.

Second valve circuit also looks way too long for an Eb horn. BBb from where I sit.

J.W. Pepper was really a sheet music publisher. I don't think they manufactured any instruments, they imported them. My Eb is engraved "imported by J.W. Pepper". This catalog came out after mine was made by a year or two. They likely had some special engraving done for the American Market and dropped the "imported by". If you look at the image of my horn listed below, you will see the strong similarities in design between the catalog helicon and my horn.
http://www.horn-u-copia.net/show.php?se ... urtiere%22" target="_blank

If I'm not mistaken, J. W. Pepper also sold stencil instruments built by American makers, notably Conn.

WC8KCY wrote:If I'm not mistaken, J. W. Pepper also sold stencil instruments built by American makers, notably Conn.

And also Henry Distin. In fact, if one examines the actual instruments, Distin helped Pepper start manufacturing and the serial numbers appear to be a direct continuation of Distin's own numbers from New York/Philadelphia...

Based on the image in this ad and looking at my F. Courtiere imported by Pepper, they are the same design. I think the helicon in the ad is either a stencil or a copy. I think a stencil is more likely because they are made within a year or so of each other.

The McKinley Act of 1891 required that all instruments be labeled with information on where it was manufactured. If it is not marked "Bohemia" or something similar, odds are it was made in the U.S.
It was customary to base designs on existing instruments because there was no reliable way to design the bore profile and it was not easy to prototype new instruments without actually making templates and building them. Design simulations didn't exist at that time.