Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory B-Flat Cornet: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This cornet was made by the Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory in Boston, Massachusetts around 1870 to 1875. It is a B-flat cornet made of brass with 3 string side-action rotary valves. This cornet is accessioned with a period wooden case and tuning crooks and shanks. The cornet is engraved:

"NE PLUS ULTRA" Made by the BOSTON Musical Instrument Manufy.

Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory was formed when the E.G. Wright Company and Graves & Company merged in 1869. By 1902, the company name was changed to the Boston Musical Instrument Company.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1870-1875
• maker: Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory
• maker: Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory
• Object Name: cornet
• Physical Description: brass (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 12 3/4 in x 4 3/4 in x 3 9/32 in; 32.385 cm x 12.065 cm x 8.3058 cm
• place made: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
• ID Number: MI.78.01
• accession number: 1978.0517
• catalog number: 78.01
• Credit Line: Gift of John Langer
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.