Wright & Co. Flugelhorn: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This flugelhorn was made by Elbridge G. Wright & Co. in Boston, Massachusetts, about 1864-1865. It is an E-flat flugelhorn, made of nickel silver, with 3 string-action side-action rotary valves. This flugelhorn is engraved:

The 5th Regiment Massachusetts Colored Volunteer Cavalry (or 5th Regiment, Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored)) was a cavalry regiment from Massachusetts, that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was organized from January 9-May 5, 1864, at Camp Meigs, Readville. From May 12, 1864, it served dismounted and equipped as infantry until the end of war.

Elbridge G. Wright (1811-1871) began making musical instruments in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1839. By 1842, Wright moved to Boston, Massachusetts and made musical instruments under his own name or in partnership until 1869.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1864- 865
• date made: 1864-1865
• Object Name: flugelhorn
• Physical Description: brass (overall material)
• Physical Description: nickel silver (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 33.7 cm x 11.7 cm; x 13 1/4 in x 4 5/8 in
• Measurements: overall: 4 5/8 in x 7 1/4 in x 13 1/2 in; 11.7475 cm x 18.415 cm x 34.29 cm
• place made: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
• ID Number: MI.71.13
• accession number: 293095
• catalog number: 71.13
• Credit Line: Gift of Frank Scimonelli
• 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. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation.