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http://cgi.ebay.com/Graves-E-Flat-Rotar ... dZViewItem

I can't afford it and wouldn't know what to do with it if I had it, but I'd appreciate learning something more about this kind of horn from the cognoscenti here. How were they used? Why the long bell? What would you do with one if you had one now? etc.

rwiegand wrote:How were they used? Why the long bell? What would you do with one if you had one now? etc.

Troop travel in the middle of the 19th century was often by foot. Marching. In order to keep the troops in step, and pass the time, musicians marched at the front of a column of soldiers with the officiers. The problem was, that their bells would either be pointed forward (where you're going, where, by definition, there isn't anyone yet) or skyward (up to the clouds, where the men aren't either). You want the musicians in front, because you want them to be able to react to changes quickly, not be at the back, and get the news five or ten minutes later.

A new kind of instrument was developed, one the soldiers could hear in the rearward ranks. These were Over The Shoulder, or OTS horns. As you see, the bell is pointed BEHIND you when you play. There were a whole family of OTS horns, from Eb cornet to Eb bass.

The bell is long to try to counterbalance the valve block in front of the player. The valve block needed to be there so that the player had access to the valves.

It is interesting that this horn says that it was made by "Graves & Co" at (not with) the "manufactory of EG Wright", another New England maker. These two makers would later join forces (with others) in 1869 as the Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory (later the Boston Musical Instrument Co.).

Times changed, troops changed (got bigger, found better ways to move) and musicians changed (not wanting to arrive first at a fight; civil war musicians were often men who were too young, too old, etc.) so the practice of building OTS horns soon ended. Not the least of which was the problem of giving concerts with your backs to the audience...

Survivng OTS horns are very rare, and the ones that DO survive, for practical reasons, are often cornet sized, so a new OTS tuba coming to market, as you will see, is sure to fetch a good price!

Most of the extant ones that are not in museums are used in civil war reenactments or gawked at in private collections.

Thus endeth the lesson.

In the book "Bands of America", by Harry W. Schwartz, the author states that most manufacturers at this time made both OTS horns and normal (bell up) horns. Most instruments at this time were sold as sets to a town, factory, or regiment. Manufacturers discouraged buying OTS horns for "concert" use, as they claimed they were "inferior" instruments.
Interesting to see how the inferior instrument outvalues the superior ones by a factor of 10 merely because of civil war reenactments.

They are not inferior because of the method of construction, merely because one must turn their back to an audience for a concert.

In that sense, normally shaped horns are "superior"; in a mixed group, where would a conductor stand, otherwise?

And far from the popularity of the use of such horns dictating the price, its the rarity of such horns that makes them so valuable today. That and the age; that horn had to have been constructed BEFORE 1869!

Indeed. One must never underestimate the value of an object to a collector as opposed to its utilitarian value.

After all, isn't that the premise of the "Gawd, that's hideous" PBS program "Antiques Roadshow"?

Ebay logic

American Eb Tuba from 1860s - $$$$$$ (rare)
American Eb Tuba new - $$$$$ (for schools)
American Eb Tuba 1930-1970 $$$$ (vintage)
American Eb Tuba 1860s-1880s $$$ (antique)
American Eb Tuba 1970-present $$ (used)
American Eb Tuba 1890-1930 $ (for parts)

Thanks for the history lesson. If I were a musician marching to battle I could sure see the logic of having front facing instruments and bringing up the rear!