Looking for information about a midget Conn helicon

[emcallaway]

I'm writing on behalf of a friend who recently stumbled onto a slightly unusual helicon. It's a Conn and pitched in Eb, but the entire thing is much smaller than any other Conn Eb helicon that I've seen before. The engraving indicates that it was produced in Massachusetts. Serial number 20579.

Does anyone have any information about this odd instrument? Even just a model number and an approximate year of manufacture would help.

Thanks very much!

[bisontuba]

Hi-
Courtesy of the SaxMuseum, from a 1888 Conn Worcester Mass catalog, an Eb helicon--similar but different--FYI..Mark

[The Big Ben]

I'm writing on behalf of a friend who recently stumbled onto a slightly unusual helicon. It's a Conn and pitched in Eb, but the entire thing is much smaller than any other Conn Eb helicon that I've seen before. The engraving indicates that it was produced in Massachusetts. Serial number 20579.
Does anyone have any information about this odd instrument? Even just a model number and an approximate year of manufacture would help.

According to the Conn Loyalist site, 20579 falls in between 17691 (1888) and 22878 (1889)

http://cderksen.home.xs4all.nl/ConnSeri ... Brass.html" target="_blank"

In 1887, the Conn factory was in Worchester, Mass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.G._Conn" target="_blank"

[David Richoux]

It is hard to scale without a reference, but the horn does not seem to be much smaller than other Eb sousaphone bodies from that general time period I have seen or owned.

[Heliconer]

Not a bunch more to say than what has already been said.

I've played one of these before and can honestly say that conn really knew what he was doing, I love these things!