Sousa's tubas

[roughrider]

I know through my reading that the Sousa band used Conn sousaphones for the majority of their existence and that Sousa liked the instruments to all be made by the same manufacturer because they blended well together. My question is whatever became of these instruments? I think it would be interesting to see in detail the horns played by such giants as Herman Conrad, August Helleberg, and William Bell among many others. Any thoughts on this?

[iiipopes]

But seeing as how there aren't too clear of records on Conn instruments, we can only really suspect where these sousaphones are now, they could even be stuffed in old barns in Missouri...