Expert: Kenton Scott - 9/3/2009

Question
What can you tell me about a Frank Horton Euphonium, I believe, serial number on back of 2nd valve is 41056 also with Frank Holton Chicago?  The name of the maker is also on the bell along with the inscription USQMC.  When was it made and any history associated with it would be useful.  Thanks!

Answer
Holton was a trombonist with with Sousa in 1893-94. He achieved initial success with his revolutionary slide-oil formula, Electric Oil.  He then began to sell used instruments. By 1898, He opened a third-floor two-room shop in Chicago at Clark and Madison Streets. Soon Holton began experiments to improve brasswind instrument designs. Holton hired his first instrument maker about 1898 and created his first trombone - a Special.

By 1900, the Frank Holton Company was producing several models of trombones, cornets, trumpets and euphoniums, as well as percussion instruments.  By 1906, he had approximately 100 employees, making slide and valve trombones, cornets and mellophones. In 1909, he introduced the Holtonphone, his variation on the raincatcher sousaphone.

In 1917 Holton moved his company to Elkhorn, Wisconsin, where it has remained as the country's oldest continually operating wind instrument company. But for several years, he had factories both in Chicago and in Elkhorn.  Your horn was built at this time in 1918.