Antique Musical Instruments/Lyon & Healy Rotary Valve Cornet

Advertisement

Expert: - 7/17/2006


Question
I have a Lyon & Healy Rotary (chicago) Valve Cornet that was owned by my gradfather who was a traveling musician, owned his own music school in Bartelsville Ok and a band director in Kansas during his lifetime.  He was a string player and to my knowledge never played cornet.  Is is rare and is it worth having repaired?  The mouth piece is obviously not the one that should be with it as it is to small to fit firmly into the horn.  What is it worth.  

Answer
Hi Gail,

It is rare in that most Lyon and Healy cornets you see are piston valved.  

Lyon and Healy was a major supplier of musical instruments around the turn of the 20th century.  Most of their instruments were imported, though they made some and used US suppliers as well.  

There was a rotary L&H cornet on eBay recently that went for over $1200.  

Antique Musical Instruments

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Kenton Scott

Expertise

Please note: My area is BRASS instruments, not other wind, string or percussion instruments. I will provide information on antique, obscure and out of production BRASS instruments. 1) Please don't ask for evaluations, I'll not provide them on this site. 2) I am often asked very similar questions, so I'd invite you to first check on Horn-u-Copia.net. Much of the information I have garnered about this topic, I have posted on this WEB site.

Experience

I perform in several historical bands, have informally researched the area, repair brass instruments, and operate a Forum dedicated to the topic at http://horn-u-copia.net

Education/Credentials
B.S. Ed, M.S.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.