United States – Boston, Massachusetts
David C. Hall & Benjamimn F. and George W. Quinby

German silver
ca. 1867
Height: 26 inches
Wind Instruments – Brasswinds – Alto Horns

The Alto horn is a brasswind instrument  and a part of the saxhorn family, as the interior chamber of the alto horn, called the bore, is conical in shape.  During the early development of brass instruments in the 19th centuries, the keyed instruments and the valve instruments competed for dominance.  However, as time passed, valve brass instruments such as this Hall & Quinby upright alto in B-flat, continued to improve and dominate the scene, as they were comparatively easier to mass-produce than keyed brass instruments.  Valve instruments were also easier to play because they relied on the three most dexterous fingers of the hand and a common fingering technique was applied to each voice range of the brass instruments.

This Hall & Quinby upright alto in B-flat has three side-action string rotary valves. According to Bob Eliason in “The New Langwell Index,” from 1865-69 David C. Hall, a keyed bugle player and band-leader, partnered with Benjamin F. and George W. Quinby as ‘Hall & Quinby’ in Boston.  In 1870, they were joined by E.G. Wright and became ‘Hall, Quinby, Wright & Co’.  Upon the death of E.G. Wright in 1871, they reverted to ‘Hall & Quinby,’ until 1876, when Hall quit the firm and established himself independently as maker, dealer. Then from 1876 to 1884, the ‘Quinby Brothers’ firm was established. (pp. 157-158, 315-316). 

Resource:  Waterhouse, William. “The New Langwill Index.” London: Tony Bingham. ISBN: 0-946113-04-1 Garofalo, Robert, and Mark Elrod. “A Pictorial History of Civil War Era Musical Instruments & Military Bands.” Charleston, West Virginia: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, 1997.