Ballad horn. Nominal pitch: C / B♭.

Distin & Co

Photo by Antonia Reeve © The University of Edinburgh

Instrument

Ballad horn

Instrument Family

Wind

Maker

Distin & Co

Place Made

United Kingdom; London; Europe; England

Date Made

1869

Description

Technical description: Brass. Valve type: 3 Périnet valves, top sprung; alignment by key on piston. Ballad horn. Nominal pitch: C / Bb. Maker: Distin & Co. London. 1869. Serial number: instrument 21290; valves 11224. According to the firm's archives [work shop order books], batch of 6 (21288 93) given out prior to 1 Jun 1870. Overall size: c 445; corpus diameter c 240; bell 171. Sounding length: minimum 2336; overall length of shank 85; overall air column length of crook 330. Bore: shank (for C) at c 10mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 8.9; shank (for C)) at distal end, 9.7; Bore: instrument body at c 31mm from shank/crook receiver (local minimum bore), 10.2; m.t.s. at c 419mm from shank/crook receiver, tuning slide bore 11.6; centre of valve cluster at c 669mm from shank/crook receiver, v.t.s. bore (1,2,3) 11.6; at 1168mm from bell end, c 13.1; at c 677mm from bell end, 18.5. B = 0.54. Dia of mouthpiece receiver: m.r.t. of shank 9.1 9.0; m.r.t. of crook 9.2 8.8; external taper of shank 11.2 12.1; external taper of crook 10.9 12.2; shank/crook receiver on instrument 12.0 10.9. stamped on bell with trumpet and banner trademark incorporating "DISTIN" / "Patent Light Valve / DISTIN & Co. / MAKERS / 9 & 10 GRt. NEWPORT St. / LONDON / 21290"; on front of 3rd valve casing "9"; on front of 2nd valve casing "8 / "11224" / words forming an ellipse "DISTIN * LONDON *", inside "MAKER"; on front of 1st valve casing "7"; on top and bottom caps and on spring columns of pistons "7" ... "9". Playing accessories: With shank for C and crook for Bb, both unmarked. Purchased with, probably formerly used with, and possibly supplied by maker with mouthpiece (4087). Previous ownership: ex Robb Stewart; until c 1996 in Wisconsin; according to the firm's archives [Distin & Co Stock Books], "Ballad Horn plain P.L.V" entered in stock 27 Oct 1869; sold 12 Feb 1870 to Boosey & Co., New York.

Notes

R. Parks, 10.09.01.

Measurements

c 445; corpus diameter c 240; bell 171.

Provenance

ex- Robb Stewart; until c 1996 in Wisconsin; according to the firm's archives [Distin & Co Stock Books], "Ballad Horn plain P.L.V" entered in stock 27 Oct 1869; sold 12 Feb 1870 to Boosey & Co., New York.; on loan to the Collection.

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

4086