Owner: HWMC
Catalog#: CL-MBST-01
Indefinite Pitch - Drum
W. H. Cundy 'Eagle' Drum
Boston, Massachusetts
W.H. Cundy
Wood, paint, gold leaf, fiber, leather, gut strings, skinhead
ca. 1855-1860’s
Height: 11 in; Diameter 15 in
Percussion – Indefinite Pitch – Drum
Nearly complete printed paper label inside reads: W.H. Cundy, No. 55 Court Street, Boston Mass, Manufacturers of Drums and Dealer in Musical Merchandise of every Description – Agent for the celebrated … (the rip obscures the name) “…AND INSTRUMENTS”.
This is an early W.H. Cundy field snare drum with original hand-painted American Eagle motif with outstretched wings on front. It is all original except for replaced fiber rope. The natural-colored stem-bent wood body is fastened with original early fasteners and has original wooden eyelet on back side and the original gut snares on the bottom drumhead. The finely painted eagle in minute detail has not been retouched or redone. Wonderful gold leaf details on the eagle with only very minor loss of any original paint. On the painted shield of blue and white, held by the feet of the eagle are eight (8) white stars painted on the blue portion of the shield, possibly representing South Carolina, the 8th state of the Union to ratify the U.S. constitution in 1788. This possibly served as a pre-civil war drum or a civil war drum from the Confederate South.
The label inside the drum is approximately 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches and has a small section of lower left corner torn off. The leather tensions are original, but the rope has been replaced and there is a tear In the original batter head.
William H. Cundy was a music publishing and musical instrument importer retailing business in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm started in 1855 and by 1900 became Bettony-Cundy. Harry Bettony (1867-1953) had moved to the US in 1897 and started working for W. H. Cundy, then became manager of the development and expansion of the Cundy-Bettoney instrument company. W. H. Cundy retired from the business in 1907.
Resource: ‘The New Langwill Index: A Dictionary of Musical Wind Instrument Makers and inventors.” William Waterhouse, 1993. Pub: Tony Bingham, London.