A catalog of the alto brass instruments in the Arne B. Larson Collection of Musical Instruments /

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to provide a systematic register of the horns and other alto range brass instruments in the Arne B. Larson instrument collection. Of the 299 instruments detailed in this document, 73 are of the horn family. The remainder are valved alto brass instruments of the following types: mellophones, alto horns, solo altos, trombone-style altos, helicon altos, and over-the-shoulder horns. Housing over 2,500 musical instruments, the Arne B. Larson Collection of Musical Instruments in Vermillion, South Dakota, is one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the United States. The collection holds a variety of musical instruments from throughout the world. This document is one of a series of catalogs of specific segments of the collection. The following information is documented for each instrument: maker, date of construction, material used in construction, selected measurements, descriptions of engravings and decorations, a statement of the condition of the instrument, and (when possible) an account of the acquisition of the instrument by the Arne B. Larson Collection of Musical Instruments. Twenty instruments (11 horns and 9 other alto brasses) have been chosen for particular examination, because of their excellent construction, unusual design, ornate decoration, or historical significance. Brief histories of both the horn and the alto brass instruments are provided so that the reader may have an historical association for the instruments featured in the catalog.