Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

Emil Karl Blessing cane to the U.S. in 1896. He worked for Buescher and Holton. He started making valve assemblies from a small garage in Elkhart, Indiana by 1901 and found his company to make valve assemblies for other companies by 1906, later making complete trumpets, trombones and cornets to be sold under other dealers names. Bach was one such customer. Pan American was reported to be another. Blessing used a number of names for stencil horns. Most prominent was Silvertone to be sold by Sears - although not all horns so marked were made by Blessing. Other stencil names include Baldwin, Westminster, Meteor.

By 1926, his company was known as Emil K Blessing Co, by 1936, it was E.K. Blessing Band Instrument Co.

In 1940, the present Blessing factory was erected at its West Beardsley Avenue location in Elkhart.

In 1942, the company name was changed to E.K. Blessing Inc

He was the first maker to use octagonal valve casings, caps and buttons.

In the 1950s production accelerated including the manufacture trumpets and cornets to be sold under various brand names. Blessing died in 1954, and was succeeded by his son, E. Karl Blessing.

In 1961 the company was merged with Martin to form the Richards Music Corporation. The corporation collapsed in 1964, and was again E>K> Blessing Inc. In 2009, the company was sold to Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.

Trombone Models

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