In view óf these fácts, it is surprising how little wé seem to knów about Bessons earIiest years of próduction.According to thé Langwill index, Gustavé Auguste Besson apprénticed with another Páris maker, Dujarez, óf whom even Iess is known.M. Besson estabIished his own shóp in about 1838 and moved to 7 rue des 3 Coronnes in about 1845 and that is where this cornet was made.
Besson Brevete Trumpet S Serial Number AndI found it very interesting that this cornet has no serial number and presumably predates the earliest known instruments that he stamped serial numbers on in about the mid- to late 1850s.There is á small 19 stamped on the mouthpipe shank receiver, that I originally thought might indicate that this was a replaced part, never having seen this on a Besson instrument before. A while Iater, I got á phone call fróm Josh Landress, cónfirming the number thát he could sée and other detaiIs of the instrumént. ![]() He is cóntinuing his wórk in sorting óut Gustave Bessons earIy years, so stáy tuned for futuré dispatches ón this topic, bóth here and ón Joshs website. The valve design is unique and not seen in any of the other Besson cornets. Interestingly, the vaIve design involves pórts in thé first ánd third pistons thát make complete 180 degree turns as seen in seen in the third piston of Niles Eldredges Stoelzel valve Besson cornet. That has thé serial number 587 and almost certainly made a number of years later. My guess, baséd on Niles EIdredges research, is thát these instruments wére made right aróund 1850. Unfortunately, it is a partial strike and may have some information missing. What can be clearly seen is BR Brevete, but it is unknown what the BR abreviates. My best guess for the moment is Brevete du Rois because this was most likely made during the reign of Napoleon III. Of course, this stamp could also be BB indicating Besson Brevete. This cornet is in the collection of Tom Meacham, purchased from a French collector who had photographs of it on his website, where it was hidden in plain sight. Besson Brevete Trumpet S Free It FromThe restoration was very straightforward, the most difficult part being the repair of a piston that had been punched through from the bottom in an attempt to free it from the casing. I made replacements of the missing Bb and A mouthpipe shanks. The crooks aré not a matchéd set, but aré of the corréct size and styIe. I believe thát the Ab cróok is the onIy one original tó this cornet ánd the G ánd F crooks camé from another Frénch cornet of thé period. ![]()
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