Need your historical help: How old is "raincatcher"?

[Dave Detwiler]

Hi all,

I've been corresponding with my good friend, Douglas Yeo, who is doing the final edits on his upcoming book, An Illustrated Dictionary for the Modern Trombone, Tuba, and Euphonium Player, which is going to be a fantastic resource!

He had asked me whether the nickname for the upright bell Sousaphone would be spelled "raincatcher" or "rain-catcher," and I suggested the former, as that's how Bevan spells it in The Tuba Family. It's a minor detail, and of little consequence, but it did get me thinking . . .

How far back does that nickname go - regardless of how you spell it?

Newspaper searches only take it to 1953, but I'm certain it is older than that. But I haven't been able to find any uses of the nickname that are pre-1953.

Do you know of any? If you do, share what you know here!

Warmly,
Dave

[The Big Ben]

Legend has it Sousa asked for the construction. Maybe some literature on Sousa's history would help you.

[Dave Detwiler]

Legend has it Sousa asked for the construction. Maybe some literature on Sousa's history would help you.

Thanks, Ben - Sousa indeed came up with the idea for this modified helicon back in 1892. But none of his biographies comment on the origin of the nickname - if they even mention it at all. And the nickname is never mentioned by Sousa in his writings, as far as I have found. It is odd that the earliest reference I can find in a newspaper is from 1953 - over sixty years after the first Sousaphone was built!

Somewhere, at sometime, someone dubbed it a raincatcher!

[Dave Detwiler]

By the way, here is the earliest reference I have found - so far. It coincided with the release of the movie, "Stars and Stripes Forever" in early 1953.

The history recounted here is incorrect, regarding who built the first Sousaphone, and when (not Conn in 1898, but Pepper in 1895), and that Sousa was responsible for the bell pointing forward in 1908 (he wasn't; he preferred the original bell-up model, which was his design).

But it does raise the legitimate possibility that this horn was dubbed a "raincatcher" when it started being used outside for marching - something Sousa almost never did. But I do have a reference of a very early Conn Sousaphone appearing in a GAR parade in Philadelphia in 1899, so the nickname could go that far back. And, come to think of it, one of the rare times Sousa's Band did go on the march was that same year, for Admiral Dewey's victory parade in New York City. Interesting! Is that perhaps when the nickname first appeared?

1953-01-20 The Bedford [Indiana] Daily Times, p. 8.JPG (109.7 KiB) Viewed 741 times

[Mithosphere]

Memory is a little hazy on this, but I could have sworn I read the term "raincatcher" or "rain-catcher" in an article about marching with the Sousaphone in the rain from the 1910-20s. Someone remarked on the instrument weighing "300" lbs with all the water it had collected from the march.

[Dave Detwiler]

Memory is a little hazy on this, but I could have sworn I read the term "raincatcher" or "rain-catcher" in an article about marching with the Sousaphone in the rain from the 1910-20s. Someone remarked on the instrument weighing "300" lbs with all the water it had collected from the march.

Thanks for jogging my memory as well, Ian! But I'm pretty sure that what you're referring to was when Sousa's Band was in England in 1903.

Here's the report - although, while it mentions freezing rain, it doesn't mention "raincatcher," unfortunately. So Conrad's joke about how much the horn weighed after the three mile walk could either be referring to the water (ice?!) in the instrument, the fatigue from the long walk in the freezing cold, or both. We just don't know for sure:

1903-01-24 Evashem Journal.JPG (114.59 KiB) Viewed 702 times

[iiipopes]

As everyone reviews the article, make sure you understand Conn did NOT invent the sousaphone, raincatcher or bell forward. J. W. Pepper did. This is now well documented. This article is blatant Conn marketing propaganda.

That said, I don't know if there was any earlier reference to the nickname "raincatcher" before this article.

[Yorkboy]

As everyone reviews the article, make sure you understand Conn did NOT invent the sousaphone, raincatcher or bell forward. J. W. Pepper did. This is now well documented. This article is blatant Conn marketing propaganda.

That said, I don't know if there was any earlier reference to the nickname "raincatcher" before this article.

Not only that, but in the article the author claims that “in 1908 Sousa wanted the bell directed to the front of the player in order that it’s output could be better heard”. I could be wrong, (but I think I’m not) but that Sousa never condoned the “bell-front” sousaphone for use, especially in his own band; this would have defeated the specific purpose for the invention of the instrument, in the first place.

That entire article is not just Conn propaganda, but a minefield of disinformation.

[bloke]

Thank GOODNESS that - in these modern times - NO one EVER puts out misinformation/disinformation !!!

[Dave Detwiler]

As everyone reviews the article, make sure you understand Conn did NOT invent the sousaphone, raincatcher or bell forward. J. W. Pepper did. This is now well documented. This article is blatant Conn marketing propaganda.

That said, I don't know if there was any earlier reference to the nickname "raincatcher" before this article.

Indeed - I tried to clarify that in my post. But thanks for helping to give Pepper his due!

However, you've got one little detail wrong - Conn did invent the bell forward version in 1908, which he called the Wonderphone helicon bass, since "Sousaphone" referred to Sousa's original bell-up design. You can read more about this development here: http://tubapastor.blogspot.com/2012/12/ ... -1908.html