A Guide to Dating Couturier-related Instruments
This list is based on an information base of over 300 Couturier and Couturier-related brass instruments starting with the Frank Holton "Couturier Model" New Propotion cornets, the "Couturier Wizard-Model" cornets built by York & Sons around the time of Couturier's "Continuous Conical Bore" patent in 1913, Couturier's own company, E.A. Couturier Co. Ltd., and finally the sale to Lyon and Healy with "Couturier Model" and later instruments after the company went into receivership. Following the list are the facts and assumptions that were used in creating it.
If you note any discrepancies, or have additional information concerning this company, please contact us here at Horn-u-copia.
For more information, go to the Detailed Record of Couturier-related Instruments.. This page lists known and reported Couturier instruments as a service to those researching Couturier. The source of the information is listed, and wherever possible, the serial numbers have also been verified visually.
The record, itself, is broken into three sections:
- Part 1: York "Couturier Wizard-Model" instruments which conform to the 1913 patent configuration.
- Part 2: Instruments made by the E.A. Couturier Co. Ltd and the E.A. Couturier Co. firms.
- Part 3: Lyon & Healy "Continuous Conical Bore", "Couturier Model" and "Makers" Instruments
- Part 4: Holton instruments with Lyon & Healy serial numbers, likely made in LaPorte
Additionally, we would be grateful to anyone who owns a Couturier-related horn not listed to also contact us with the name, type, cities, patents and serial number (etc.). It would be nice to build our lists using horns other primarily than just those that are being sold.
Frank Holton "Couturier Model" New Proportion Cornets made in Chicago
| 1909 | 6071 |
| 1910 | 9474 |
| 1911 | 12402 |
| 1912 | 15950 |
| 1913 | 20807 |
| 1914 | 21100-31621 |
York & Sons "Couturier Wizard-Model" Cornet
| 1913 | 10000 - 10100 |
| 1913 | 33200 |
| 1914 | 37000 - 40999 |
E.A. Couturier Co. "Continuous Conical Bore" Instruments
| 1918 | 1000 |
| 1918 | 2276 |
| 1919 | 4000 |
| 1921 | 6000 |
| 1922 - 1923 | 7000 - 13099 |
Lyon & Healy "Continuous Conical Bore", "Couturier Model" and "Makers" Instruments Made In LaPorte
| 1922 | 9000 |
| 1924 | 13000-16000 |
| 1926-1928 | 200000 - 203000 |
- Mike Keller
Ernst Albert Couturier was born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1863 (NLI).
After rising to fame as a cornet soloist, he became an artist/endorser of Holton's "Couturier Model/New Proportion" Cornet in 1909. Although many were made, these cornets were conventional. His endorsement with Holton ended in 1912.
He then filed a patent, which was granted in 1913, for his "Continuous Conical Bore". The first instruments to use this concept were cornets built by the company of York & Sons. Because of the absence of patent markings on blocks of numbers of these "Couturier Wizard-Model" cornets, it is my assumption that some were made before the 1913 patent was granted while the rest were made after.
Couturier then formed his own company in 1916 (1), which bought out the Seidel Band Instrument Co. in Elkhart, Indiana in 1918 (NLI). After making instruments there for a few months, the firm was relocated to the town of LaPorte, a short distance to the west. There, they continued to make a full line of brass instruments and saxophones until the company went into receivership in October of 1923 (2). Apparently, during this period, they also made stencil instruments for at least Lyon & Healy.
Lyon & Healy bought the factory in 1923 and made "Courtier Continuous Conical Bore" and "Couturier Model" instruments until at least 1926 (3). L&H sold their wholesale division to the Tonk Brothers (NLI, 4), but continued to make instruments in LaPorte (which were marked Chicago) until April 1928 when they sold the plant to Holton (5), who closed the LaPorte site in 1929. (6).
Couturier was awarded patents for:
- "Continuously Conical Bore", Patent number: 1073593 Filing date: Sep 3, 1912 Issue date: Sep 23, 1913
- Conical bore trombone slides, Patent number: 1385202 Filing date: Jun 25, 1919 Issue date: Jul 19, 1921
- A cork ringed mute, Patent number: 1425318 Filing date: May 14, 1921 Issue date: Aug 8, 1922
- A manual quick change disk valve, Patent number: 1436085 Filing date: May 14, 1921 Issue date: Nov 21, 1922
- A short mouthpipe/smaller valve bore, Patent number: 1438363 Filing date: Sep 12, 1921 Issue date: Dec 12, 1922
- Stepped increases in tubing (the opposite of a continuously conical bore!) Patent number: 1729568 Filing date: Jun 26, 1928 Issue date: Sep 24, 1929
And design patents for:
- Short cornet design, Patent number: D52207 Filing date: Apr 27, 1918 Issue date: Jul 23, 1918
- Trumpet/long cornet design, Patent number: D52473 Filing date: Apr 27, 1918 Issue date: Sep 24, 1918
- Mouthpiece design, Patent number: D57511 Filing date: May 3, 1919 Issue date: Apr 12, 1921
Lyon & Healy was awarded a patent for:
- Double lever Saxophone octave key, Patent number: 1705563 Filing date: Mar 4, 1927 Issue date: Mar 19, 1929
- NLI. Waterhouse, William. The New Langwill Index: a Dictionary of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers and Inventors. Bath, England: The Bath Press, 1993
- 1. Steve Mumford, Horn-u-copia > The Manufacturers A-D > Couturier > "Two Couturier Histories", Online posting, Jan 6th, 2006, 10:58pm, www.horn-u-copia.net (20 May, 2009)
- 2. Mumford.
- 3. "LaPorte", http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=70892&page=25, 05-04-2009, 09:43 PM, http://forum.saxontheweb.net (20 May, 2009)
- 4. The Banjo Ukulele Haven, Lyon & Healy, http://www.banjoukes.com/index.html, http://www.banjoukes.com/Manufacturers/Lyon&Healy/Lyon&Healy.html, (20 May, 2009)
- 5. Mumford.
- 6. Felix Jungschlaeger, Frank Holton Co. Saxophones - Serial Number Chart, http://vintage.saxontheweb.net/Holton.html, (17 May, 2009)
6 June 2010
