This instrument is a replica of a typical post-Civil-War-era, E-flat circular cornet, such as was offered by the Martin Brothers and Moses Slater in New York City, ca. 1875. Decorative features, like the scroll-shaped brace, are adapted from those, and other, New York makers. Compared with the circular cornet by Ernst Glier, Stewart’s bell points upward, rather than forward, at a distinctly pronounced angle. Robb Stewart is one of the foremost brass instrument makers, restorers, and dealers in vintage instruments in the United States today. He established his own workshop in 1979 in Arcadia, California.

Body:  Brass with German-silver touchpieces. Single-looped tubing: leadpipe; valve segment; main tuning slide parallel to valve loops; conical bell bow and bellpipe in one integral part; Saxon rim.

Valves:  Three top-action, string-operated rotary valves. Spiral-spring return mechanisms; reciprocal driver pivot with cork buffers on horseshoe-shaped plate. Internal slide tubing. Windway: first, second, third valve.

Accessories:  Mahogany case with brass fittings. Silver cornet mouthpiece, stamped R. STEWART. Music holder, stamped RMC in black velvet sack.

Sounding length:  894 mm; internal diameter, leadpipe: 11 mm; bore diameter (inner valve slides) 11.1 mm; bell diameter: 115 mm.

Go to Checklist of Top-Action, String-Operated Rotary Valve Instruments

Go to Links to the NMM's Three Brass Instruments by Robb Stewart

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