It’s not what you think. Jules Worms was a French artist who lived from 1832 to 1914. Both of the below images by him were recently added to the 19th century timeline (2nd half), and both are a bit quirky:…
Month: March 2010
Gramophone Magazine
I was recently contacted by an editor from Gramophone Magazine who expressed interest in using some of the images from the 17th century timeline in an upcoming issue. Nice honor. Seems that some of the paintings, especially, are not widely…
Trombone History: First Non-Italian Depiction of Trombone
Added the following to the 16th century timeline, possibly the first non-Italian depiction of the trombone. Below the first two images and caption I’m also adding here an image I didn’t include in the timeline–I wider shot that includes the…
Trombone History: Distin Family Brass Quintet
Added the below image and entry the the 19th century timeline (first half). c. 1834—England: A print depicting the Distin Family Brass Quintet, an ensemble known for adopting Adolph Sax’s valve instruments, includes a member holding a slide trombone, indicating…
Trombone History: 16th Century Angel-Trombonist
Added the following image and caption to the 16th century timeline–yet another example of an angel-trombonist, this time going solo. The engraving probably originates from Germany. c. 1570—An engraving by Franz Ignaz Brun from the Nine Muses series features an…
Trombonist-Panhandler in 19th Century France
Added the below image and caption to the 19th century timeline (2nd half). It is not known whether the trombonist fared any better than Joshua Bell did recently in the NY subway, or whether the “poor dog” is in reference…
Trombone Saves Man's Life
Just added this touching story to the 19th century timeline (2nd half): 1875—New York: Harper’s Magazine publishes a humorous fictional piece, “The Story of a Trombone,” with illustrations by Charles Reinhardt. The story is about a man who lives below…
Bassoonist Does Battle
Another off-topic post, again about an image that I couldn’t pass up from Cassin-Scott and Fabb’s Military Bands and Their Uniforms (London: Blandford Press, 1978): We occasionally hear stories about military musicians pressed into actual combat situations. This picture, a…
Bandmaster Cigarettes–A Different Era
This is off-topic, but I came across this authentic cigarette advertisement from c. 1900 in Cassin-Scott and Fabb’s Military Bands and Their Uniforms (London: Blandford Press, 1978, p. 93) (see below image; public domain). There are several things here that…
Trombone History: Pair of Early Circus Posters
I continue to add to the 19th century timeline (2nd half). Over the weekend I added a pair of circus posters, both of them highlighting musicians. The first one, from Ringling Brothers, shows a large band with 10 trombones. The second,…