The slide is one of the most identifiable visual characteristics of the trombone in artwork. However, when a slide turns up without a bell, it can be problematic. Could it still be a trombone? Are we trying too hard to…
military iconography
Trombone and the Dance, Part II
Last week I posted Early Trombone and the Dance, focusing on the dance role of the alta capella, of which the trombone was a regular member. This follow-up post deals with the trombone and dance in more recent trombone history. Once…
Hi Ho, Brass! Trombones on Horseback
Ever tried playing the trombone on horseback? A pretty contorted affair, one would think. There are, however, several visual depictions throughout trombone history of trombonists on horseback. I recently added one such image of a military musician to the 19th…
Kilts in the Military: Not Just for Bagpipers
Added the below image/entry to the 19th century timeline (2nd half). The image is related to a fairly large set of military images from the 19th and 20th centuries, many of which contain trombones. c. 1885—Scotland: Military musicians from the…
Headed Backward: Historical Images of Rear-Facing Trombones
I have recently added three more images to the Trombone History Timeline that feature rear-facing trombones. These trombones have sometimes been called over-the-shoulder instruments, a term that works for other brass instruments but is somewhat lacking for trombones: aren’t all…
Trombone History: A Soldier I Will Be
Recently added quite a few images to the trombone history timeline (19th century–1st half, 19th century–2nd half, 20th century) related to the trombone in the military. Here they are, below, along with their captions. As always, for sources, see the…
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…
Belgian Military Trombonists
Added another Belgian military trombone image (Madou, 1832) to the 19th century timeline (1st half). It’s shown below, along with the other entries from the timeline related to Belgian military trombonists. There are 4 images total, all of them from…