Leblanc B-Flat Trumpet, used by Charlie Spivak: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This trumpet was made by Georges Leblanc in Paris, France around 1960-1970. It is a B-flat trumpet, serial #29228, made of brass with 3 piston valves. This trumpet was previously owned and used by American jazz trumpeter and bandleader Charlie Spivak. This trumpet is engraved:

Trumpeter and bandleader, Charlie Spivak (1905 or 1907-1982) grew up in New Haven, Connecticut and learned to play trumpet at 10 years old. In his professional career, Spivak played with a number of big bands including, Ben Pollack, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Glen Miller. Spivak led his own band from 1939 to 1959 and continued to play and record until his death in 1982.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1960-1970
• maker: Leblanc, Georges
• maker: Leblanc, Georges
• Object Name: trumpet
• Physical Description: brass (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 19 in x 5 in x 6 1/2 in; 48.26 cm x 12.7 cm x 16.51 cm
• place made: France: Île-de-France, Paris
• ID Number: 1992.0518.01
• accession number: 1992.0518
• catalog number: 1992.0518.01
• serial number: 29228
• Credit Line: Gift of Joel A. Spivak
• 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.