C.G. Conn B-Flat/A Cornet: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This cornet was made by C. G. Conn in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1898. It is a B-flat/A cornet, serial #51787, made of silver plated brass with gold highlights, and has 3 Périnet piston valves with mother-of-pearl buttons and sculpted guides on the quick change slide. The bell of the cornet is ornately engraved with a floral design. The cornet is accessioned with a period wooden case covered with black leather and lined with purple plush, and accessories. This cornet is engraved:

The second valve on the cornet is stamped “PAT. JUNE [/] 15, 1886,” which refers to United States Patent #343888 granted to Charles G. Conn for “Improvements in Cornets, and other Piston-Valve Musical Instruments.”

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1898
• maker: C. G. Conn
• Object Name: cornet
• Physical Description: brass (overall material)
• Physical Description: silver (overall material)
• Physical Description: gold (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 13 in x 5 in x 6 1/2 in; 33.02 cm x 12.7 cm x 16.51 cm
• Measurements: cornet: 13 in x 7 3/8 in x 5 in; 33.02 cm x 18.7325 cm x 12.7 cm
• Measurements: mouthpiece: 2 3/8 in x 1 1/16 in; 6.0325 cm x 2.69875 cm
• place made: United States: Massachusetts, Worcester
• ID Number: 1985.0017.07
• accession number: 1985.0017
• catalog number: 1985.0017.07
• 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.