Field Drums

From the Drum Collection of Howard Reiff

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:13:00 +0000

A number of drums from the collection of Howard Reiff are pictured below. More information on Mr. Reiff is being sought and, when received, will be posted here. In the interim, we have the following photos, courtesy of Jim Ellis at Cooperman Fife & Drum Company. (See Worldly, Yes, but Marching To the Beat of a Local Company, by Carolyn Battista, New York Times, July 11, 2004.

Veteran Corps of Artillery Drum (1920s, maker unknown).
The symbol of the VCA:

A drum bearing the symbol of the VCA:

Couesnon & Company (Paris, France), post-1900, brass shell.

The Couesnon company was started in 1827, in Château Thierry, a small city on the Marne River, 50 miles east of Paris, an area traditionally associated with the making of brass instruments, according to Richard Dundas, in his book, Twentieth Century Brass Musical Instruments in the Twentieth Century (third edition). The company was purchased by the Couesnon family in 1883 and already had an outstanding reputation as a maker of fine instruments. The production included percussion, woodwinds (including double reeds), small and large brasses, and military bugles. Under the personal direction of Amedee Couesnon for 48 years, the company won many medals and awards for quality production and technical innovation.

They made many horns which were imported into the United States, including many that were sold under the names of music stores and other private labels.

By 1911, Couesnon had expanded to eleven factories and more than 1000 workers, meeting the needs of many performing groups and military bands. During this time the products were highly sought after and were played by many of the virtuosos at the time. Although they made virtually any musical instrument, during the 1930s they began catering to "Fanfare bands" (marching brass bands very popular at the time), and gradually became almost the only supplier of marching brass instruments in France. At this same time, prior to the war, the Couesnon trumpet factory in Paris was located right next door to the F. Besson trumpet factory, where the premiere trumpets prior to World War II were made. Curiously, the Couesnon trumpets of the time look virtually identical to the F. Besson models.

Source: DallasMusic.org

John Stratton (1860-1862 est.), 16" x 11" shell, star inlay, bone vent hole grommet.

G.W. Quick 1909, 14" x 9" shell, 2 ply, birds eye maple shell.

Abner Stevens 1840, 16" x 13" shell, painted star, tack design, original label, press-fit gut.

Abner Stevens 1811, 15" x 11" shell, single row of copper tacks at seam overlap.

When is a brown drum a Brown drum?

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:12:00 +0000

Frederick A. Hesketh, Town Historian, Bloomfield, Connecticut, author of a four-page summary of "The Browns of Wintonbury, Makers of Brown Drums", and a 59 page detailed version available from The Wintonbury Historical Society writes:

Susan Cifaldi[*] has devoted [many] years to a search of authentic Brown Drums. She has uncovered many but also believes that a lot of “fakes” have been created. Cifaldi relates that a member of an old drum corps “… sought to alleviate the dismay that arose at the demise of the famous drum shop. He made several replicas so closely mimicking the originals that it is difficult to tell the impostor from the genuine article.” It is also suspected that he was aided by a fellow drummer, a printer by trade, who replicated the Brown labels.

Cifaldi’s extensive research has identified more than 90 Brown Drums still in existence, including the eight in the possession of the Museum of Fife and Drum operated by the Company. Others, in addition to those in the hands of the Mattatuck and Moodus drum corps are in the Smithsonian Institute, Nathan Hale Homestead (Coventry, CONN.), Connecticut Historical Society, West Point Museum, Alexander King House (Suffield CONN.), Buffalo/Erie County Historical Society and our own Wintonbury Historical Society. The remaining drums are in private collections.

The mystery of when the first drum was made may never be solved. Virtually all known and verified Brown Drums have a distinctive label and date inside the drum opposite the air hole. The earliest date known to the Company of Fifers and Drummers is 1810 and bears serial No. 108 and the name B. E. & M. Brown, believed to be Benjamin, Eli, and Moses.

[Note: It would be good to have a photographic inventory (on the Internet) of all of the drums identified by Cifaldi.]

First, what do Brown drums look like? Well, those I've found described on the Internet are generally big and have elaborate tack patterns. Here are some examples.

(Center Drum: NMM 10039. Side drum by Eli Brown & Son, Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1841. Printed on paper label inside drum shell, visible through vent hole: ELI BROWN & SON. / DRUM MANUFACTURERS, / HAVE CONSTANTLY FOR SALE / BASS AND SNARE DRUMS / MADE IN THE NEATEST AND BEST MANNER / Bloomfield, Conn. 1841. Maple shell, natural finish, 495mm (19-1/2") x 471mm (18-1/2"). Rope tension. Ten leather tugs. Wood rims painted red, with holes drilled for the rope to pass through. Brass snare adjuster. William F. Ludwig II Collection, 2001. Lit.: Jayson Dobney, "Museum Enhances its Percussion Collections with Rare Instruments That Document the American Percussion Industry," America's Shrine to Music Museum Newsletter, Vol. 29, No. 1 (February 2002), pp. 4-5. -------, Innovations in American Snare Drums 1850-1920, M.M. Thesis (Vermillion: University of South Dakota, 2003), pp. 105-107.)

(Reported to Have Been Made by Eli Brown of Bloomfield, Ct. in 1840. 18" d x 16" h, The Civil War Fife and Drum Page)

Nominal Size: 26 x 25 maple shell drum with diamond and circle tack pattern and ivory rimmed vent hole circa 1820. Possibly made by Eli Brown, 1st Brigade Band, Wisconsin.

And this drum: It's a brown drum, but is it a Brown drum? The handwritten label (post-1911) clearly reads "F. Brown, Amsterdam, NY / 1829" but the printed label does read "BENJAMIN BROWN". Cifaldi wrote me by email that the drum is "likely to have been made by Benjamin Brown, given that the printed label appears to be a legitimate Brown label and Benjamin was making drums in 1829."

(Evert Oathout's Drum: Approx 18 ½ in diameter and 13 ½ tall including rims)
Who Were the Browns?
The Browns were a family of Connecticut Valley (Windsor area) farmers, coopers and tanners, generations of whom (possible as early as the Revolution) made drums, among other things (including many children) -- good drums, some say the Stradivarius of field drums. (Source: draft unpublished research paper by Cifaldi) (John Brown the abolistionist was a family member, Hesketh (below), p. 1.)

"Vintage Drum Time Line, Major American Drum Manufactures of the 20th Century Principals and Companies," reports that Eli Brown & Son, of Windsor, Connecticut succeeded to Porter Blanchard, Concord, N.H., the first drum maker on the American continent to make military parade drums. (Porter Blanchard drums are the subject of other articles on this blog. See "Civil War or Earlier "Porter Blanchard" of Concord, New Hampshire", "1841 Porter Blanchard Snare Drum on eBay is Talking, But What is it Saying?".) However, Hesketh suggests that Blanchard's work was preceded by the Brown family, as early as the Revolution.

Cifaldi wrote by email "re Porter Blanchard, I know of no direct (or indirect, for that matter) connection between Porter Blanchard and the Browns. From my research, it appears that the Browns succeeded no one and simply made drums because they wanted to, the two younger makers (Moses and Eli Sr.) perhaps receiving instruction from their fathers (both coopers). At least one young Brown, William, apparently devoted himself to drum-making as a calling, if his probate papers are any indication, but as for the other Brown participants it seems to have been more of an adjunct to their primary occupations of farmers and artisans (based on probate information). Also, Blanchard was not "the first" to make military field drums. See Performing Arts in Colonial American Newspapers, and there is a John Rogers making drums in Middletown, CT in 1774. Doubtless there are others if we look hard enough for them."

Also see The Company of Fifers And Drummers: Ivoryton, CT, and Moodus Drum and Fife Corps, Moodus, CT.

Many of the drums in the collection of The Mattatuck Drum Band, Waterbury, CT, are by Eli Brown family of Windsor, Connecticut made from 1820 to 1840.

And, see "Brown Drums at Yale", by Joe Gillott.

Is this a Brown Drum (or perhaps an Abner Stevens)?: I don't know. If you do, or have any thoughts on the question, please feel free to contact us.

The drum has just returned from Cooperman Drum Company where this beauty received new flesh hoops, counterhoops, tugs, snares, heads and a rope carry (the original counter hoops, now in storage, were in sad shape, partially broken). The tack pattern bears some resemblance to known Brown drums but it is not anywhere near identical. The tack crosses at the 12 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions might be a clue.

If you have any ideas, please feel free to let us know.

__________
* Susan Cifaldi*, former Music Librarian and Assistant Archivist (1987 to 2005) of The Company of Fifers and Drummers, Ivoryton, Connecticut, reputed to be an expert on the subject of Brown Drums, has published on this subject. Our treatment here is intentionally limited to pointing out some sources, assembling some photos and asking some questions. Susan was a fifer for the Nathan Hale and Westbrook Drum Corps and currently plays the fife in the North Branford Ancients. Susan has published several articles, encyclopedia entries, and other essays on the history and traditions associated with fifing and drumming and in 1989 co-authored with Bob Castillo Benjamin Clark's Drum Book, a practical edition of the original 1797 manuscript. She has also participated in several research projects, includng The Performing Arts in American Newspapers 1690 - 1783 (1997) and Early American Secular Music and Its European Sources, 1589 - 1839, An Index (2002).

Large Tacked Snare Drum

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:35:00 +0000

Now this drum is large -- 21" diameter, 21" height (including counterhoops) (shell measures 20-1/2" diameter, 17-1/2" height). It dwarfs the other drums in my collection, some of them 17" diameter Civil War originals. (Side by side it looks twice as big.)

At first we thought it might be a bass drum. But it was just slightly shy of bass drum dimensions to qualify. And then telltale snare depresions were found in one of the counterhoops and what could be a snare bed (or part thereof) on one of the edges of the shell. There were no screw holes indicative of a long gone snare mechanism. And, based on the size and tack construction of this drum, we were not surprised as pressed snares were a possibility.

Based on the size, construction, tack pattern, drilled counterhoops and condition of this drum, we are estimating pre-Civil War, early 19th century, possibly earlier. Maker unknown.

If you have any opinions/information, please share them with us.

Before: Deceptive, this drum's hidden beauty was not well represented by this photo from eBay (item no. 170214783047). Just a shell, two red (faded to almost orange) drilled counterhoops (one broken), two flesh hoops. (The snare notch in the underside of the red counterhoop is visible at the center of the photo.)

After: After a stay at Cooperman Drum Company in Bellows Falls, Vermont, new drilled counter hoops, flesh hoops, heads, snare, ropes and tugs, voila:

Letters from Readers: Unnumbered Red Wm. S. Tompkins Drum

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:31:00 +0000

Compare with 1862 Tompkins Drum (restored by Cooperman Drum Company):
Not quite the same inlay pattern but similar.

Wm. S. Tompkins & Sons
Makers
Yonkers, NY
Drums of All Sizes Made to Order
1863

Dave Watts wrote:

Hi,

After reading the blog on Wm. Tompkins & Sons drums [see Tompkins 1860-1863 Masterpiece Drums -- Where Are They Now?; Old Tompkins Drum Surfaces on Internet (here), and other articles -- use the search feature top left to find more], I thought I would write to let you know I also have one. It is in excellent condition and all original except for replaced rope and 3 tugs. The shell and rims are really nice with bright colors and with a couple of small hairline cracks. Heads are original, heavily faded but not stained, torn or wrinkled. It has 3 rows of stars and and diamonds circling the percussion hole -- typical with Tompkins drums -- and has the hand-written inscription on the inside of the shell and dated 1863. It measures 16.75" in diameter and 15.25" in height. It also has the original gut snares and strainer.

I purchased this drum approximately 20 years ago when I was on a mission to find a nice drum. Other than the Wm. Tompkins & Sons drums listed on this site and the one shown in Garofalo's book on Civil War Musical Instruments, the only other I saw was the presentation Tompkins drum* displayed at the Smithsonian [not this] reportedly used for Lincoln's Funeral.

I could not find a "2" written on my drum.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the articles on the www.FieldDrums.com blog and now have it in my favorites. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks again.
Dave

*Dave added the following information in a follow-up email:

I saw the Tompkins drum approximately 4 years ago on display in a special Lincoln exhibit. It was definitely a Wm. S. Tompkins and Sons drum as indicated by the display sign and I also looked through the vent hole and observed the inscription. [See reference in "The Nation’s Flagship History Museum Explores a Uniquely American Office – The Presidency – in Exhibition of Unprecedented Size and Scope", November 14, 2000.] It may not be on display at the present time but was definitely there for that exhibit. A letter to the Museum of American History should confirm this.

**********
Drum Played at Lincoln's Funeral:
Following up on Dave Watts' lead, we found the following on the website of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History:

This drum and drumsticks were used at Lincoln's funeral. Mourning for Abraham Lincoln combined the use of traditional military rites, the need for official governmental commemoration, and the desire to provide a means for the public expression of grief. As his body was transported to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, the two-week-long funeral procession retraced the train journey Lincoln had taken to Washington as president-elect, allowing one million Americans to pay their respects to "the savior of the Union." In many of the cities the train passed through there were parades to honor Lincoln. "Life and Death in the White House, Abraham Lincoln".

The drum pictured looks as if it bears only a single 10-point inlay rather than the concentric circles of small stars and diamonds marking other Tompkins drums. The star pattern is more characteristic of drums by other makers (e.g., Eisele, Sempf, Soistmann) discussed elsewhere in this blog. (See "Drums with Inlaid Stars", April 16, 2008.) Based on the foreging we emailed the National Museum of American History to see whether we can get a more complete set of photos for our readers. We hope to receive a reply:

Dear Ms. Machado,

I write and publish a blog on rope field drums (please see www.fielddrums.com). It is the only web-based collection of information on the topic.

Recently a reader wrote to me saying that he saw the drum in the NMAH's exhibit concerning Lincoln's funeral. The reader mentioned that he saw the drum at that exhibit attributed to Wm. S. Tompkins, Yonkers, NY. We have several articles on our blog about that maker, and several about drums with inlaid stars. However, the drum in your exhibit is the only drum we know of with what appears to be a single 10-point star attributed to Tompkins. All of the others feature concentric circulse of small stars and diamond shapes.

Would it be possible to get a fairly complete set of photos of your drum, including photos taken through the vent hole showing the handwritten inscription typical of all Tompkins drums that we know about?

Thank you.

Ellis R. Mirsky
Blogmaster@FieldDrums.com

Improved Roller Cord Hooks from Leedy

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:53:00 +0000

The Complete History of the Leedy Drum Company: The World's Largest Drum Company

This is the fascinating story of professional drummer, inventor, and industrialist Ulysses Leedy and his apartment-based drum company that became the world's largest manufacturer of percussion equipment. Features many photos documenting the company's interesting history. A must for all collectors and drum enthusiasts!
By Rob Cook
Exclusively distributed by Hal Leonard Pub. Corp., ©1993.
ISBN:0931759749 : 9780931759741

Eagle Drum, 13th Penn., Co. G and Identified Drum Sticks

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:58:00 +0000

556 - CIVIL WAR DRUM, IDENTIFIED TO COMPANY G OF THE 13TH PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS.
Price not stated.

Michael Simens
812 - IDENTIFIED CIVIL WAR DRUMSTICKS INSCRIBED FOR "O. POHLE, CO. B, 178TH NEW YORK, GAR POST 669".
Pohle was in the 178th for its full two years of service, 8/63 to 11/65, all of it in the deep South taking their greatest casualties at Pleasent Hill during the Red River campaign. $1,250.00

http://www.michaelsimens.com/Civil_War_Artifacts_Uniforms_Flags.asp

Stamford Historical Society Drum

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:52:00 +0000

The first item on the right in the Halliday Gallery which catches the eye is a drum which belonged to Charles M. Gill, 1st Regiment. Connecticut Volunteers, Heavy Artillery. Peering through a hole in the side one can see the maker’s name John F. Stratton & Co., Manufacturers of Military Band Instruments, of Every Description. No. 49, Maiden Lane, N.Y. Gill later worked at the Stamford Stove Foundry on Canal Street and lived on Bedford Street in a house next to the donor, Mrs. Thomas F. Hogan.

The Stamford Historical Society, Inc.
Stamford's Civil War: At Home and in the Field -- a 2003 Exhibit and more
Virtual Tour: The HALLIDAY GALLERY – I
http://www.stamfordhistory.org/cw_virtualg1.htm

Drum with Portraits of Civil War General

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Collectors Firearms
3301 Fondren Suite O,
Houston, Texas 77063
Tel(713)781-1960 FAX (713)781-6407

Listing Item 2950

Note: Terry Cornett, a featured artist and Principal Percussionist with Huntsville Symphony Orchestra (Terry is also a drum maker and restorer, and owner of Heritage Drum Company) wrote in to say that he remembers having seen this drum on eBay around 2002 and that at the time, the description mentioned that the image was a likeness of General Meade.

The drum also features a mounted soldier with baggy pants reminiscent of the Zouaves.

Civil War Drum Returns to Carroll County, Virginia

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:17:00 +0000

Reprinted from http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/VACARROL/1998-12/0915066357:

From: Freddie Spradlin
Subject: Civil War Drum Returns to Carroll County
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 20:05:57 -0500 (EST)

Thanks to:
Mary A Sutphin
for forwarding this to me [Freddie Spradlin].
===========================

I think the folks who originate in Carroll will be interested in this. Especially those who had relatives in 29th VA. Infantry. This is from "The Carroll News," Wed. Dec. 30th. Very condensed. "Civil War Drum returns to the county where it was made." "A part of Carroll County's Civil War history was recently returned to the county through the efforts of of the Carroll County Citizens Committee for Historic Preservation. Gary Marshall explained, court clerk Wheatly spotted in an estate auction a listing for a Civil War era snare drum made in Carroll County.

The auction was held in Charlottesville. Marshall describes the drums history as uniquely tied to Carroll County.

"Joshua Mabry, a wheelwright, whose business was was just east of Hillsville, made the drum. When the Civil War started and units were recruited, the drum was taken with Company D, 29th VA. Infantry, where Alfred Gardner, another Carroll native served as company drummer throughout the war. Gardner, 1837-1925 described how he would wake the company with his drum. Another family story recalls a goose being grabbed by Gardner and stuffed inside one of the drums he used on the march near Lynchburg.

When the war ended in 1865, Gardner walked home carrying the drum, just as he had done four years through the war. The late John Perry Alderman wrote the definitive history of the 29th VA. Inf., which reflects the journey of the snare drum, as it reflects the battle action of the 29th." Marshall states, "It (the drum) represents an aspect of the heritage of our county. It makes concrete the hallowed memory of a definitive period in the formation of our American nation. For this drum, even in defeat, once voiced the sounds of war, a war that shaped a divided people into the United States of America."

Red Eagle Drum

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:12:00 +0000

One of a Kind
ANTIQUES
Established 1975 | Online 1995
36 Plains Road Unit D, Essex, Connecticut 06426

CW Regimental Eagle Bass Drum -- A Significant Piece

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:01:00 +0000

[7/13/08 P.S. There's a new buyer in the eBay market for rope drums and it's weiljr074u (313). Having outbid veteran buyer j***j (402) whose $1,001 bid was just not enough to stave off weiljr074u determination, weiljr074u hung in and took this prize at $1,026.00. The winner did not snipe in at the last minute. Rather, eBay's recap of the bidding history shows that there was a stare-down during the last 20 minutes preceded by a days-long cat-and-mouse game as j***j continually tested weiljr074u's resolve and learned that weiljr074u was for real.]

(the photos of this drum in this post have been enhanced, color and contrast have been adjusted because the originals were overexposed)
This is rare -- the first one like it we've seen. eBay item no. 220254301124 is a Civil War Regimental Eagle Bass Drum described as follows:

CIVIL WAR BASS DRUM that was found in an attic of a victorian home, the drum has part of the skin on one side and no skin on the other. The outside is in stored condition with a few dry cracks and a small piece missing as seen in photo, I have not attempted to clean this drum, will leave that to the new owner. There is an EAGLE WITH WINGS SPREAD and a SHIELD on his chest, with RED-WHITE AND BLUE PAINT, this is very faded but can still be made out. The rope is still in good shape but one of the leather binders has broken but is still there. The drum needs to be totally restored. The drum measures about 16 3/4 inches wide, 29 inches tall and has a circumference of 7 feet 6 1/2 inches round. The inside is in good shape with no maker's mark or tag found, however when looking inside I found in pencil, written the words THIS DRUM HAS SERVED ITS TIME IN THE NORTHERN ARMEY 1861, notice army has an E in it.

We've seen regimental snare drums but this is the first regimental bass drum we've seen. Note the eagle, shield, rays of sunlight, red banner, blue background. And the provenance provided by the below handwritten pencil inscription is priceless. This is truly a significant piece.

"this drum has served its time in the northern armey 1861."
This is quite a drum -- a terrific companion to a regimental snare drum if you're lucky enough to have one.

Marquetry in Drums of the Past (Redux)

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:35:00 +0000

19th Century Antique Marquetry Inlaid Music Room Snare Drum by Eisele

[This article originally appeared in this blog April 11, 2008. It's been updated and is republished here.]

eBay bidding (item no. 110265652909) on this drum went to $354 July 6, 2008, with 3 bidders bidding in excess of $200, but in the end the item did not sell because the seller's reserve was not met. I agree with the seller. I think the value of the drum shell is more than $354. However, the market determines fair market value ("FMV") which is the point at which a willing buyer and a willing seller will transact business. Evidently eBay bidding did not reach FMV for this item. Note that I have two drums of this type so my opinion could be somewhat biased in favor of a higher value. But, considering the intact label and the relatively manageable amount of work needed to make the drum functional (hooks, rope, flesh hoops, skin heads, snares, repair to counterhoop), I wouldn't wince at paying $500 for the drum as is and investing another $500 or so into bringing it up to playing condition.

Isn't about time that we started looking at these drums (I mean all the drums on this blog) as historic pieces of art? Look at the craftsmanship and the times in which the drums were made. $1,000 for a nice piece of art is, by any standards, still a bargain. Here I think the seller is right. Hold out for a better price. The drum warrants it.

On the inside of this mid 19th century Victorian Music Room Snare Drum is the original label that reads, “Henry Eisele, Successor to William Sempps, manufacturers of Base & Snare Drums, 209 & 211 Grand Street New York. N.B. Drum Heads, Sticks, Cords, ect.” As you can see this drum has a wonderful Marquetry Inlay on the front of Musical Instruments and the surface of this drum is original and untouched. The body measures 17 inches in diameter by 9 ½ inches tall and the two bands are 1 1/8” wide by 17 ½” in diameter. One band has a slight separation right where it laps over itself, but this will be a very easy repair. The high bidder will have to replace the skins and side ropes, but there are no other damages or repairs to the exceptional Music Room Snare Drum.

Rhode Island Internet Consignment & Sales Incp. (RIICS Inc.) PO Box 393 Lincoln RI 02865 401-475-1190

Close Up of Marquetry
(Believed to have been inlaid as a panel)

Familiar Eisele Label

Elaborate Inlaid Drum

Recently (rel. April 11, 2008) this ca. 1890s Lyon & Healey elaborately inlaid drum sold on eBay to a lucky winner who paid $890, outbidding me by a mere $10 -- the worst $10 I never spent. I was, however, able to salvage some photos before eBay made the listing go dark.

Compare a Similar 1890s Lyon & Healey Ornately Inlaid Drum at the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota:

"NMM 10142. Snare drum by Lyon & Healy, Chicago, ca. 1893. Ornately inlaid rosewood shell, 243mm (9-1/2") x 410mm (16-1/4"), utilizing seven different colors of wood. The large decoration features a natural horn, natural trumpet, and open musical score in the middle of a floral design which is inset on a darker section of wood. Ten leather tugs. Maple rims inlaid with a decorative pattern of interlocking lines in three colors of wood. Ten metal hooks through which the rope passes. Military strainer. According to William F. Ludwig, this drum was exhibited at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. William F. Ludwig II Collection, 2002. Lit.: Jayson Dobney, Innovations in American Snare Drums 1850-1920, M.M. Thesis (Vermillion: University of South Dakota, 2003), pp. 127-128."

Similar wood patterns are found on expensive music boxes.

(design registered and copyrighted
by Porter Music Box Company, Inc.)Source

How was it done?
For a primer in marquetry see American Marquetry Society's Beginner's Guide. Another seminal site is the web home of The Marquetry Society.

For information on wood inlay with a "how-to" approach, see "Wood Inlay" by the Chicago Park District, MODERN RECREATION SERIES, 1937.

And, right on point, see this article in Thin Air Press concerning applying veneer on drum shells.

I have two drums with marquetry. The first is from C.F. Zimmermann of Philadelphia.

The eBay (#150214939180, sold 3/3/08) seller described it as:

"THIS IS A NICE OLD PIECE. IT'S AN OLD WOODEN MARCHING SNARE DRUM THAT WAS USED IN A TALL CEDARS(MAS0NIC) MARCHING BAND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1900 AND THE 1920s.

IT HAS A LABEL ON THE INSIDE THAT READS: BOUGHT OF C.F. ZIMMERMAN MANUFACTURER OF THE LATELY PATENTED UNION ACCORDEANS AND IMPORTER OF AND DEALER IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. NO. 238 NORTH SECOND STREET, PHILADELPHIA

IT HAS A 17" DIAMETER, AND IS 10-1/2” DEEP. IT HAS 9 TUNING LUGS, WITH A TUNING KEY. THE SKINS OR HEADS LOOK LIKE THEY MAY BE MADE OF SHEEP OR CALF SKIN. BOTTOM SKIN IS BROKEN OUT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE SNARES LOOK LIKE THEY ARE ANIMAL GUT, AND ARE INTACT. THE BOTTOM SKIN IS RUPTURED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT'S DUSTY AND DIRTY AND PROBABLY COULD USE A GOOD CLEANING. EXCEPT FOR SOME EXPECTED WEAR DUE TO AGE AND USE, THE WOODEN FRAME APPEARS TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION. THERE IS SOME MINOR RUSTING ON THE TUNING LUGS, BUT NOTHING THAT CAN'T BE CLEANED UP. IT HAS A LOOP TO ATTACH A SHOULDER HARNESS TO BE USED WHILE MARCHING, HOWEVER THE HARNESS AND STICKS ARE NOT INCLUDED."

The second is by Henry Eisele of New York City.

The Zimmermann drum has inlaid counterhoops, in addition to an inlaid marquetry panel on the shell of the drum.

This figure from the Chicago Park District's 1937 book on the subject illustrates how a strip with an inlaid pattern can be made (clever):

But inlay bandings can be purchased and applied. See, e.g., "Original Marquetry".

The Eisele drum's counterhoops are stenciled in a gold painted pattern on a red painted background.

On each drum can be seen a seam along the border of a panel (oval in the Eisele, and the union of two ovals in the Zimmermann) containing the marquetry, as if the fine marquetry work was done separately and carefully cut in and applied to the outer veneer of the drum shell as an entire pre-fabricated panel.

And, as with the marquetry bandings, marquetry ovals are available today for sale.

Apparently in an effort to mask the seam as well as further dress up the drum, the Eisele uses a gold,red and black leafy pattern.

The Zimmermann uses a gold leafy decal (note the outline of the decal can be seen just outside the leafy pattern).

The Zimmermann close-up:

Compare this virtually identical inlay from the back of a Dobson-type Banjo ca. 1880s (said to be believed to have been made by Buckbee):

The Eisele close-up:

Letters from Readers: C.C. Clapp Drum Surfaces at Meissner's Auctions

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:25:00 +0000

Greg Lindstrom wrote:
Hi. I just acquired my first 19th century drum from MeissnersAuction.com (see July 5th).

My apologies in advance for any incorrect terminology. Also, I'm reluctant at this time to undo any original ropes to see the name inside as I've seen in several examples.

The identifying marks include each leather pulltab showing two stars with each star having a smaller star within it.

Though the side hole you can see only one word of what remains of a label - "SHEET". Also, inside at the top is what appears to be a name and city on a handwritten name label. As only the lower half is visible beneath the top band it's first initial (C?) middle initial (G?) last name which appears to be 7 letters of which 3-5 are __app__ (Clapp__?). There is a gap which appears to have some writing
followed by "Boston". I'm only about 30% certain of the initials but "__app__" and "Boston" are certain.

Our reply:
Dear Greg,

Congratulations. If you don't mind my asking, how much did you pay for the drum?

You have a C.C. Clapp drum. I have one or two (not sure, maybe more). See my article "The Star Drums of the 12th Corps of the Army of the Potomac". That's a C.C. Clapp drum. The handwritten paper label in that drum reads as follows:

C.C. Clapp & Co.
69 Court St
Boston
Could the word "SHEET" you read on your drum's label instead be "STREET"?

Take more photos. Put the drum in a very well lit area, stick a small digital camera right up against the vent hole, and see what photos you can get of the inside. I'd appreciate seeing those pictures.

Welcome to the drum collecting club. I hope you find our blog (www.fielddrums.com) interesting.

As far as disassembling the drum, it depends. There are various schools of thought. The "leave it alone" school says "don't touch it; leave it as you found it, and preserve what's left in the condition you received it." I don't subscribe to that school except in cases of really important historic relics. I have only one drum in that category (the C.C. Clapp drum, as it turns out).

All of my other drums I consider fodder for rehabilitation. Others may have a higher portion of their drums in that category. Unfortunately, I have only one at this time. And, I am not a museum that can put drums in storage for a century or more. I buy drums as art and decorate my office with them. As such, I'd like them to look good. One by one, I send them to Jim Ellis at Cooperman (Vermont -- www.Cooperman.com) who does a terrific job bringing them back to life. I can show you some before and after photos (probably a good topic for an article on the blog). Ropes, tugs (leather ears) and heads are "consumables", meaning they go. You can keep them around in storage but I replace them on all but the really good relics. My preference is to restore most of my drums to playability. Cooperman does a great job at that.

Thanks for writing.

New Evidence re Wm. S. Tompkins-like Drum with Brass Union Shield Inserts in Tugs

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:00:00 +0000

More evidence has emerged that the drum that was sold recently on eBay to lucky auction winner "harporoxx(493)" and described in this blog as "Tompkins-like" may actually be a Tompkins drum. In addition to the characteristic Tompkins inlay design, the new evidence is the number "2" inscribed in pencil inside the drum which appears to be by the same hand as wrote three numbers "2" in a known Tompkins drum. Photos and discussion below.

This prize appeared recently on eBay as item no. 110265642553. The ornate inlay design is reminiscent of the early 1860's work of Wm. S. Tompkins (Yonkers) featured elsewhere on this blog at "Tompkins 1860-1863 Masterpiece Drums -- Where Are They Now?", February 27, 2008.

Is it a Tompkins?: Not Sure:
The drum is beautiful. Of that there is no doubt. But, is it a Wm. S. Tompkins drum? Possibly an early Tompkins drum (possibly number 2, which may be the only pencil marking on the interior). Although the hooks look authentic and identical to those on Tompkins drums, and there is no mention of a snare mechanishm (quite possible, as many early drums had snares merely pressed into their bottom heads without any tightening mechanism other than a good pull during installation of the drum head -- see, e.g., the 1862 Tompkins from my collection featured in "Tompkins 1860-1863 Masterpiece Drums -- Where Are They Now?"), many or all of the 8 or so Tompkins drums we have previously written about on this blog bear Tompkins' signature, drum number and date of manufacture by hand in pencil on the interior, directly opposite the vent hole. There is no mention of such markings on this drum, merely the number "2".

However, that does raise the intriguing possibility that this is an early, possibly a bit crude (Tompkins' work that we know of appears to be a few degrees more subtle; the inlay on this drum is big and bold), work from Tompkins' Yonkers shop -- perhaps his second attempt. That's entirely speculation, but a fascinating possibility nonetheless.

The Number "2":
The "2" written in pencil on the inside of the Tompkins-like drum has a certain calligraphic style to it:

I do not claim to have any skills or expertise at handwriting analysis. If you do or know someone who does, it would be appreciated if we could receive some expert analysis of the foregoing and the following examples of the number 2 written on the Tompkins-like drum (above) and a known Tompkins drum (below) in my collection:

The number "2" looks very similar in both drums. The known Tompkins drum's three examples of number "2" ("1862" and "22" in pencil) compare very favorably with the number "2" in the Tompkins-like drum.

Sellers' Description:
The seller (tootahorn) describes the drum as follows: "Original Civil War drum. Everything is very solid and is in amazing shape. There is no fading. This has been in a collectors home in a dry place for many, many years. I may have taken the pictures upside down - I apologize for that.

This has handsome inlaid wood work for the design. The ropes are in terrific shape. They are intact and they seem original . Comes with two original drumsticks. Does not come with a case. There aren't any drum heads. The leather holds the rope in place. The leather is worn with some cracking. The wood design has 8 stars on the outside circle, 8 stars on the inside circle.

Each individual leather crest has 7 [sic., 7 raised and 9 depressed] stripes and 13 stars. There are only three of the leather tassles that have the leather crest. One of the leather tassles is missing completely and two of the leather tassles are partials. There are 10 "hooks" on the top and 10 hooks on the bottom rim that hold the rope. The wood itself is in good shape that has hairline cracks.

There is a minor stain that goes around in the inside middle of the drum. Cannot see it from the outside - it may have been there since it was originally made. The rims are in good shape with some edges worn. There is the number '2' written in pencil on the inside of the drum. No mold or mildew - great for museum or collector. This comes from a widows estate. She said it has been with the family for as long as she remembers. Height of drum - 13.5 inches. Width - approx. 16.25 inches."

The "leather crests" (as the seller describes them) [possibly darkened metal union shields] are of great interest. Like the brass shields pictured on a drum in my collection [the originals were brass; the refurbished replacements were done in pewter but will be replaced with brass] discussed in "Drum by John Lowell of Bangor, Maine", March 5, 2008, they display 15 stripes. However, unlike the shields on the Lowell drum's tugs, these shields have 13 stars (the Lowell drum's shields have only 12 stars). [We have no explanation for that.]

15 Stripes a Mistake? Maybe, Maybe Not:
The official flag of the United States until 1818 had 15 stripes. The following 1914 letter to the New York Times(transcribed below) sums up the history of the stars and stripes up until the firing on Fort McHenry:

THE FLAG IN 1814
-----
Had 15 Stars and 15 Stripes When National Anthem Was Written.
To the Editor of The New York Times:
Referring to the article in last Sunday's TIMES in regard to the centenary of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the writer of the article has made a slip of the pen in referring to "the original flag with its 18 stars." The picture which you show displays 15 stars and 15 stripes, which is the correct representation of the official United States Flag at that time, (1814.) The stars are arranged in five rows of three stars each so spaced that the stars of one row are opposite the spaces in the adjacent row. the flag of 15 stars and stripes was established by act of Congress approved by President Washington Jan. 13, 1794. That was the official flag until 1818.

On April 4, 1815, Congress enacted that from and after July 4, 1818, the flag should consist of thirteen stripes and twenty stars and that a star should be added for each new State. Tennessee, Ohio, and Louisiana were admitted to the Union after the act of 1794 and before the writing of "The Star Spangled Banner," but while they were entitled to stars in the flag Congress made no change in the flag until 1818, as above stated, and the flag on Fort McHenry which was fired on, contained 15 stars and 15 stripes. As prior to 1818, the United States Flag contained the same number of stars as it had stripes, there can be no mistake about the number of stars in the flag represented in the Sunday TIMES, which contains 15 stripes. E.H. Hall, Secretary The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society.
New York, June 8, 1914

The New York Times
Published: June 13, 1914
Copyright © The New York Times

Letters from Readers: Isaac Judson Bass Drum

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:01:00 +0000

On 7/6/08 Rollin Shaw (rolloshaw@verizon.net) wrote:
"I have had 2 field drums -- one bass and one snare -- for over 40 years. They were reported to have been carried in the Civil War. Although snare drum has metal rope attachments, you can see holes where the ropes were originally attached. There are no regimental designs (see photos below). I last displayed them in 1965 for the 100th anniversary of the Civil War."

Rollin reports that the snare drum is 17-1/2" in diameter and 15" high; the bass drum is 23" in diameter and 18" wide.

Rollin added this information today: "A label inside the bass drum reads "I. Judson."

I. JUDSON,
MANUFACTURER,
Harness[es?], Trunks, Valises, Whips,
Carpet-Bags, &c., &c.
OPPOSITE TREMONT HOUSE,
CONNEAUT, O.

I researched the name. Judson was from Conneaut, Ohio. [Conneaut is on Lake Erie, at the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, about 25 miles southwest of Erie, Pennsylvania and about 65 miles north east of Cleveland, Ohio]. The Ashtabula County 1860 census records show Isaac Judson to have been a harness maker. The name was also listed in death records "Isaac Judson, 1820-1885". I know that trunk makers also made drums in the 1800's. Isaac Judson was born in New York. It appears that he was 45 in 1865 when the Civil War ended. He lived to age 65.

"I have not checked to see whether the red stain on the bass drum is dried blood. Now with all the testing equipment available I might just check that out. The bass drum skins are original but some of the ears have been replaced on the snare drum and on the bass drum. The snare drum skins were replaced when my granddaughter stood on the Drum when she was 6 to look out the window and fell through skins. I still have the original hanging here in my office.

Rollin"

Rollin proved links to the following additional information: Ancestory.com lists an Isaac Judson, age 39, in the 1860 census for Ashtabula County, Ohio. Also, see 1860 Census, Borough of Conneaut Ashtabula County, Ohio, Roll 933 Book 1 which lists Isaac Judson as a harness maker, born in New York, holding real estate worth $500 and personal property worth $200.

Isaac Judson is buried in plot C01-029 of the City Cemetery, Conneaut, Ohio ( born Oct. 20, 1820, died April 25, 1885).

And, Judson's harness shop is mentioned in this retrospective "RETRESPECTIVE [sic, RETROSPECTIVE] GLANCE AT CONNEAUT’S MAIN STREET IN 1861, Highly Interesting Paper Prepared By Mrs. J.P. Reig And Read Before the 19th Century Club; Copied from the CONNEAUT NEWS-HERALD Of Saturday, February 1, 1908.": "Next came a wooden building occupied by Isaac Judson as a harness shop."

Can any readers help us in identifying the maker of the snare drum?
The snare drum looks something like (but not identical to) some Abner Stevens drums pictured elsewhere in this blog. E.g., see "Fredericksburg's Civil War Museum":

Also, see "The Painted Drums of Abner Stevens":

Letters from Readers: Abner Stevens Drum in Booth Family Almost 200 Years

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:54:00 +0000

David Booth of Westminster, Maryland writes:
I have an Abner Stevens field drum which I inherited from my grandfather, James David Booth of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He said that it belonged to his grandfather, Samuel Colton Booth, who was a member of the Massachusetts Militia in the early 1800's. The drum label is dated 1813. Decoration consists of the same tack geometry as on the 'Lafayette Tribute' drum [see "The Painted Drums of Abner Stevens", this blog (photo below)], with the same star in gold.

The heads and snares are original, but the rope and tabs were replaced in 1976 at the U.S. Navy School of Music, Little Creek, Virginia. I was a Navy musician, and was there for my annual Reserve Active Duty for Training. The rope used to repair the drum was manufactuerd at the ropewalk at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, and the tabs were tanned and made in Williamsburg, Virginia.

[Ed. Note: We hope that David Booth will send us a complete set of photos of his family's Abner Stevens drum so that we can post them here.]

Letters from Readers: Is this Drum a Werner Soistmann?

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:57:00 +0000

Question:
Ted Tweed, President, Heritage Music Foundation, Inc. (a division of which is the 1st Brigade Band wrote us about a drum in his collection.

"I have a drum (photo above) which has no label but which is similar to drums shown on the blog, especially among drums with inlaid stars. Can you help identify the maker and give me some idea of the value? Appreciate the help. Thanks. Ted"

Our response:
Ted,

Beautiful drum. Who did the restoration? I'd like to get those stars punched into some of my tugs.

Your drum looks virtually identical to one in my collection by Werner Soistmann (Philadelphia). See the photos in "Drums with Inlaid Stars" in this blog. The points of identity/similarity are:

1. 10 pointed star;
2. vertical alignment of the star;
3. type of wood comprising the exterior veneer (looks like mahogany see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahogany); and
4. stenciled counter hoops.

Even though the coloration on your drum differs from mine, I cannot be certain that is [relevant]. I'd like to see the drums side-by-side, or a more complete set of photos, including metal hardware comprising the snare mechanism, if any.

Also, because the inlays are made of wood, the grains could reflect light differently (darker in the upper right in one drum than the other), and the inlays could have been inserted backwards (or it just might not have made a difference). The coloration pattern (e.g., lighter wood in the number 1 position, darker in the number 2 position) simply might not have been something anyone paid attention to from drum to drum. I would not necessarily differentiate [drum makers] on that basis.

Are the replacement leather tugs replicas of the originals or just period-like? And do you have any of the originals? Also, did the hooks come with the drum>? And, when and where did you acquire the drum? Finally, who did the restoration (Cooperman?).

My research suggests that inlays (e.g, the entire 10-pointed star) might have been purchased and simply inlaid intact into the veneer. See the article on marquetry in drums, "Marquetry in Drums of the Past", in this blog. And, I think that I recall reading somewhere that the stenciled hoops might have been imported from Europe, but I could be mistaken as to that.

The point would be that drums that look similar could have been made by different manufacturers [or retailers]. In the "Drums with Inlaid Stars", there is a drum by Sempf and another by Eisele (New York) that look very similar but neither looks like mahogany was used for the veneer. However, there is a nine-pointed star drum by Sempf in that article that does look like mahogany.

So, your drum bears the most similarities to my Werner Soistmann drum, and some similarities to a drum by Sempf. [I'd call it Werner Soistmann-like.]

I'll continue to watch for other drums from which we can learn. Also, ... I'd like to post your email and my response on the blog at www.fielddrums.com for the information of others, as well as an example of the website's usefulness and to encourage such cooperation and communication among collectors and restorers.

Thanks for writing.

Best.

Ellis

-----
On 7/1/08 Ted wrote:
Ellis: Thanks for the reply. I have looked at the blog and find it to be most interesting and informative. I've looked at the inlaid star drums as well.

My son purchased the drum at an antique shop in Green Bay, WI several years ago -perhaps 10 or so. I have no idea what he paid for it.

The drum was in poor shape when I received it. Only a few of the original leather tugs were intact, rope had been replaced with a poor substitute, but all hooks were accounted for and intact but very dirty. The hoops were filthy. The cast brass snare strainer hardware was intact and consistent with others I've seen on CW era drums. I'll get a photo of it.

I did the restoration myself. I sent the flesh hoops to Cooperman where they put new calf heads on them. I purchased a set of leathers and rope from Cooperman. The original ears were imprinted with a star on each side of the tug. I located a star imprinting tool at Tandy Leather Co and used it imprint the leathers. It's not quite the same as the original star, but a star nontheless.

The shell was completely refinished, taking care to preserve the original color as much as possible, and to do so while preserving the beautiful star. The hoops were simply cleaned.

Incidently, the drum plays extremely well and has a wonderful sound. (I use a muffler to reduce ringing.) It does suffer from some warping of the hoops so has a tendency to come out of alignment. It must be babied.

I have one of the original leathers so will take a photo and send it to you. I also have made a number of slings and will include a photo of one just for the fun of it.

Feel free to use any of this correspondence and photos on the blog.

Thanks again for your prompt reply to my inquiry and the very helpful information.

Ted

-----

On 7/1/08 Ellis wrote:
Ted,

Very interesting. Thanks for the info. I play also (the last time I played seriously was in 1967 as a snare drummer with the Long Island Sunrisers Drum & Bugle Corps).

Tell [us] about your playing history and involvement.

Thanks.

Best.

Ellis

-----

On 7/1/08 Ted wrote:
Ellis,

I continue to play, although not as much anymore. I played snare, bass and cymbals (I was not a percussionist in the modern sense of the word) in grade school, high school and college. After a 30 year hiatus I joined the 1st Brigade Band, Watertown, WI as a snare dummer and have been there for the last 20 years. I sometimes play tenor horn, taken up get some relief from standing through our sometimes long shows.

I first saw your name in some correspondence you've had with Dan Woolpert, our bandmaster emeritus. I've served on the board of Directors of Heritage Military Music Foundation for many years, many as president. I currently am president once again. We sponsor the 1st Brigade Band. I'm sure that Dan told you of our outstanding WEB site - 1stbrigadeband.org. On that site you can see photos of all our instruments, some with significant history. One of our drums is one that I purchased on e-bay, restored and sold to HMMF. It is an outstanding player and has a shell of birds eye maple.

I have only the one rope drum. (I have a toy rope drum, no label, that uses similar but smaller cast hooks for the ropes.) The rest of my meager collection includes a couple of good field drums from the 40's and a fine Ludwig concert snare from the 20's or 30's.

I appreciate your interest. Thanks again.

Ted

Letters from Readers: Leather Ears for Extraordinary Eagle Drum

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:31:00 +0000

This article features a Civil War era regimental eagle drum that may be the cleanest example of such drums yet published on this blog. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to write in.

A reader wrote: "I recently purchased a fine, labeled, Ernest Vogt field drum, (December 29, 1864 contract), from Austin Miller Antiques, Columbus, Ohio. (website with drum still pictured under folk art link, is, www.usfolkart.com) I would like to locate more original leather ears of the type remaining on this drum."

Relevant Related Information:
Terry Cornett, principal percussionist with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and owner of Heritage Drum Company, has written elsewhere on this blog in reference to a drum that he restored: "the ears are Cooperman repro of Eli Brown. The customer 'cooked' them in fireplace ash."

Here's the Drum:

Austin Miller Antiques, Inc. Columbus, Ohio:
Civil War Drum - SOLD
Ernest Vogt
Philadelphia, c. 1860
Bentwood with original paint
Height 15.75 inches, diameter 16.75 inches
This side drum from the 1860s bears a stenciled eagle design that was typical of the thousands of instruments produced for use by the Union Army during the Civil War. The eagle is painted on a blue field, which means it was used in the infantry, and a banner held in the eagle's beak bears the words REG: U.S. INFANTRY.

This instrument is a rope-tension drum. Players adjust leather tugs, or "ears," to change the tension on the ropes that zigzag back and forth across the shell around the drum. The tension on the ropes changes the pitch of the skin drumhead.

To the right of the eagle painting is a tack design. Brass tacks were used to reinforce glued shells, and the tack designs became decorative elements for drum makers and also served as a kind of maker's mark. The tack design on this drum consists of a circle around the vent hole; above and below the circle are arrows pointing toward the rims. These geometric figures are framed by two parallel rows of tacks that are parallel with the shell seam. This design is the same one used by the prolific drum manufacturer Ernest Vogt, in Philadelphia, and allows attribution to his workshop.

-------------

The writer, Guy-Franz Schum, provided the following additional information in response to my email (copy below):

On Jul 2, 2008, at 6:06 AM, Ellis Mirsky wrote:
Dear Guy,

That is an extraordinary drum and you are incredibly lucky to have found and purchased it. I think it may be the finest example of such drums that I have ever seen. It is simply unbelievable in terms of its condition. The paint work is in uncommonly good condition. Frankly, I think that it is good enough to be exhibited with other fine musical instruments in [an art museum]. It is certainly museum quality.

The drum is simply astounding in its freshness and quality. My guess is that it has never been used and possibly never played. Many drums were made and stored, then sold as surplus. The absence of a regiment number and the fine condition of the drum are consistent with this drum being made during the CW but not deployed.

Now, you mentioned in your email that it is labeled. However, the website does not mention a label. Rather it talks of attribution to Vogt based on design. Did the seller miss a Vogt label inside the drum which you found? If so, can you send a photo of the label (easily done with a small digital camera pressed up against the vent hole) and some additional photos of the drum, especially details of the snare mechanism?

Thanks for writing about this wonderful piece of American history.

Guy's email reply:
On the drum: I have wanted one of these since I was 10 years old. I am now 62. My wife and I have been married 41 years and have collected American furniture of the William & Mary period, English delft, Staffordshire pottery, and other signs of domesticity. I started collecting Civil War stuff at 10, with proceeds from a paper route, but stopped when I was in my early 20s — children and mortgages.

I picked up collecting again about 6 years ago. Sticker shock on even pretty mundane Union stuff hit me hard. Nevertheless, as with furniture, I have a small but fine group of things. My all-time favorite drum is the one Don Troiani has got. The painting of the eagle is good enough to have been done by a fine artist like Harnett, or Eastman Johnson. And it has a great history to it.

The drum I got, as I said, came from Austin Miller, whom I have dealt with for folk art. I snapped it up sight unseen almost because of his impeccable taste and honesty. It cost me $11,500. *** There is one now on the Antiques Associates of Townsend website. You have to search for it, but they want $13,900 or something....

It was only when I got [the drum] home to Ole Virginny, after driving all day to and back from Columbus, Ohio, that I woke up in the morning and decided to peek through the percussion hole, and there it was! ... the standard Vogt label with the contract date on it.

The entire drum is right from stem to stern. The bottom head is torn, but in place. The snares are all there and completely attached across the bottom laterally. The painted surfaces and varnish finish, ropes, and 5 remaining ears are there too. If it was not issued, which I suspect, then at some point someone hooked it up and carried it around, because there is minor scuffing, very minor but evident, at the point where the shell rubbed against a coat button or a buckle. But this is almost unnoticeable, and one would have to know how and where to look for it, and be familiar with how military drums are carried.

I am familiar with the drum at the Met. One of the reasons why I bought my drum is because I could see that it was a Vogt drum and that the hand that painted it was the same, or from the same shop. I was thrown a bit, by the tacking pattern info that Miller put in his caption for it, because I have seen Horstmann and Soistmann drums, labeled, with the same pattern. But I figure maybe they collaborated at times, one doing shells and hoops, and jobbing them out for painting and roping. Just a guess.

Any way. I will try to get the label photo, and take some shots of the whole thing [for the web]site in the next couple of days.

I'm glad to have found the Blog and pages.

Guy
www.schum.com

Round and Round, Here We Go . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:31:00 +0000

Where it stops, no one knows.
Hmmm! Seems we saw this drum recently. "Where?", you ask? Well, right here (or there) on eBay. Yes, Seller (here) vintagecolectables4u (let's call her/him "4u"), was the winning bidder at eBay auction no. 350071358053 closing last Thursday, June 26, 2008 at $200.00. 4u was the only bidder. The seller (alderferauction) at that auction listed the address of the auction to be Hatfield, Pennsylvania.

In 4u's auction of the same drum, (eBay item no. 120277963406), 4u lists his/her address as "down by the sea, United States". Hatfield is more than 200 miles for anything that could even remotely be described as "sea". So, I am going to assume that 4u was not at the auction and has not yet taken possession of the drum. It's even possible that 4u has not even paid for the drum and that the drum has not been shipped 2 4u and that the drum is, instead, waiting until 4 u pay 4u 4 the drum. 4u apparently would like to be able to instruct the alderferauction to ship directly 2 u, if you become the buyer from 4u.

I'll explain. Here it is, Sunday, June 29, 2008, and the very same drum as 4u bought three days ago is now listed for sale by 4u 4 sale on eBay. I doubt that 4u has taken possession of the drum. And, and it's possible that 4u has not yet even paid for the drum. 4u could be simply waiting 4 u 2 pay 4u 4 the drum that 4u bought 4 u and have u pay 4u more than 4u paid 4 the drum (including, of course, recovery of shipping charges and a 20% buyer's premium). 4u will need about $275 just be break even, I suspect.

What's the deal here? Is 4u a collector, a trader or an arbitrageur? In this case, the evidence points to trading which 4u is trying to convert into something close to arbitrage by trading the drum 2u even before payment is due.

Where do we see this all the time, every day? In the stock market and commodity markets, for examples. Let's take the oil trading business. In that field, "traders" (people skilled at taking very expensive risks with lots of other people's money) buy and sell oil by the barrel (actually 100,000 barrel lots). Over the phone, they buy and sell oil and various types of refined gasoline -- of which they usually never take delivery -- hoping for a swing in the market price before selling that which they've just bought, or buying to cover that which they've just sold).

Sound confusing? Well, just think of it as buying with the hope of selling at a profit. The difference is that in oil trading, buyers never (usually never) actually take delivery of the 100,000 barrels they buy (unless they are buying for their own consumption, e.g., as a distributor or utility company, and have a place to store it when they take delivery).

Here, the commodity is a single drum. But the principle is the same: buy with the hope of selling at a profit, and possibly even avoid shipping charges, handing, taking delivery and storage.

What is Arbitrage? Arbitrage is a transaction that makes a profit without risk, as when a buyer buys at the same time that the buyer has another buyer waiting for the good/service at a higher price. Well, we don't quite have that situation. There is some risk that a buyer will not come forward to pay more than the transaction costs that 4u paid in acquiring the drum. But, I think that the risk is small, for the reasons discussed below.

Here 4u has agreed to purchase the drum from alderferauction (eBay auction no. 350071358053), at a live auction. I (and I think other eBayers) tend to stay away from live auctions because of past experience that it's usually a floor bidder who takes away the prize, or someone willing to hang out on-line and play the game live. eBayers, I believe, who buy drums prefer to place their bid and wait. Some snipe. But hanging out live on-line is the preferred mode of bidding in our little community. Thus, I believe that 4u underpaid for this drum and that the value is indeed more than $200. I also think that alderferauction would have done better with a straight eBay auction that a live auction, at least as to this drum.

So it was, I think, that 4u came to own this drum. And, not being a collector but a trader (or a "collector 4u"), the drum was bought 4u. Now it's up 2u 2 buy it from 4u. Let's see if u do.

Here We Go Again -- Refurbished Eagle Drum Returns to eBay

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:02:00 +0000

We've seen this drum before:
This blog note was first posted four hours prior to the end of the auction of eBay of item no. 290240305716. By that time, the drum had been bid up to $1,225 with 19 bids by 8 bidders. However, the professionals appeared to be holding back, either waiting to strike with a last second snipe or passing on this opportunity altogether. Our guess was that it would not go much higher (we were right).

This is the very same drum that was sold on eBay and reported in this blog at "Eagle Drum Goes for $1380 on eBay" March 7, 2008. We didn't much like it then and we don't much care for it now.

What do we know about this drum?
Well, the rope looks relatively new, certainly not period. Its condition is too good. The snare butt leather looks recent. The hooks look vintage.

And the top "head" looks pretty good too, especially the color and the lack of rips and tears. BUT!!!!!! That's because it's not a head at all. It's a piece of wood. Uh oh! This baby's going to need some fixin'.

The absence of a batter head is the reason that the top counterhoop looks like it has been pulled down too far, like a size 8 sombrero on a size 5 head. The top counterhoop is obviously pulled down too far along the drum's shell.

And, even though the top counterhoop is pulled so far down, there is still a large gap between the bottom of the top counterhoop and the top of the blue background behind the painted eagle. It just does not look right to us. In every eagle drum we've seen, including the many pictured in this blog, where there is a blue background, the background extends under the top counterhoop. And, where visible, it extends to the top of the drum shell. This is the only example of a blue background falling short and not even extending under the top counterhoop.

Next the red and white stripes on the union shield raise a question. Most displays of the 13 stripes show 7 red and 6 white. This drum shows the reverse (6 red and 7 white). We have not found any authority stating that it must be 7 red and 6 white (or that it had to be that way in the 1860's), However, we did find this much:

"The stars and stripes originated as a result of a resolution adopted by the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia on June 14, 1777. The resolution read:

"RESOLVED, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation." Our Flag, Joint Committee on Printing, United States Congress, Washington, 1998, p. 1.

To be fair, although most displays of the union shield on eagle drums that we've seen show 7 red and 6 white stripes, there is one additional example of the reverse as here (6 red and 7 white stripes) on the eagle drum that is the subject of the posting, "Bada Boom -- Bidding Explodes for Old Eagle Drum", May 5, 2008.

All in all, we don't much care for this drum -- too many questions raise concerns about authenticity and vintage.

The seller says, "THIS IS A BEAUITFUL CIVIL WAR UNION DRUM WITH A PAINTED EAGLE. IT HAS THE 9TH REG US INFANTRY PAINTED ABOVE THE EAGLE. DRUM IS IN ALL ORIGINAL CONDTION WITH THE TOP OF THE DRUM SKIN IS OFF OF THE TOP AND REPLACED WITH A ROUND PIECE OF WOOD. THE BOTTOM SKIN HAS A REAP IN IT AS YOU CAN TELL BY THE PHOTO'S. THIS IS A VERY RARE PIECE OF CIVIL WAR HISTORY AND WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT A RESERVE."

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P.S. Did we call this, or what? The seller (hunteryy12) took a $55 (plus shipping) loss after purchasing this questionable relic in March for $1,380 and selling it today for $1,355. And I was not alone in assessing this baby on the low side. The evidence for that is the absence of snipers (people who use ezsnipe and other services to submit their highest bid 6 seconds or so prior to the end of an eBay auction -- all completely legal viz. eBay standards), coupled with the absence of known pros, one of whom dropped out at the $53 level, confirm that this baby just doesn't have what it takes to command a Civil War regimental eagle drum's usual premium.

20th Century Brand Drums

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:39:00 +0000

We're always looking for ways to tie different drums together, whether by outward appearance, design feature, or label. Here we bring together in one article several drums, the first two of which are linked by label, the second and third of which are linked by a design feature -- an eight-point inlay.

The thought being identities: if A=B and B=C, then A=C (something remaining from my math studies). Does it? Maybe, maybe not.

First, Drum "A", a Drum with a "20th Century Drums and Drummers Traps" Label:

According to eBayer vintagebetti concerning eBay item #170227088358:

It measures 14" in diameter x 10" high. The drum heads are most likely calf or some other type of animal skin. Both are nice and tight, without any holes or other damage. I'm not sure what the snares are made of but they appear to be all there an in excellent condition. The wood is Birdseye maple. The leather tension braces are all present and seem to be in good shape. I'm not sure why there is so much extra rope.. The strap has a leather heart shaped piece sewn in. This looks like a perfect candidate for restoration. It wouldn't take much to bring back the original beauty of this antique drum.

Next, Drum "B", another Drum with a "20th Century Drums and Drummers Traps" Label:

Previously mentioned in "Drums with Inlaid Stars" in this blog, is this example of a drum apparently by the same maker/distributor/retailer with what remains of its interior pasted paper label (exterior refurbished by Cooperman Drum Company).

Here's the label that ties this drum (B) to the first drum (A):

And here's the design feature on drum B linking this drum with the next drum (C) that lacks a label:

And Here's Drum "C" -- Same Inlay, but Different Snare Strainer and No Label:

Compare this drum with the same inlay (well, almost the same -- the inlay is reversed; an easy mistake to make during manufacture) but a different snare strainer design:

From the collection of Ellis Mirsky (purchased on eBay #260234897749)

In another posting on this blog ("Marquetry in Drums of the Past", posted April 11, 2008) we explored marquetry and inlay in drums, and discussed the fact that marquetry inlay motifs are available for purchase separately and can be inlaid complete in a waiting veneer. So, it's possible that the inlay was made elsewhere and inserted by the manufacturer. Separating the manufacture of the inlay from the manufacture of the drum introduces the possibility that the two drums could be of different manufacture. Add the different snare strainers into the analysis and the probability of the two drums having been made by the same company is further reduced.

So, in this case, even though A=B and B=C, C may not equal A.

Note: We're working on a posting with a related subject -- a different 20th Century label, in metal. Coming soon.