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Hi all - one of the most famous, but now largely forgotten, men to play a Conn Sousaphone lived almost his whole life right near where I live. I love it when I find things like that out! The research has begun! Enjoy this little teaser!

https://tubapastor.blogspot.com/2023/08 ... -soon.html

Thought I'd give a little more attention to Richardson, as I stumbled upon this image from 1923 (and I think it is also in Sousa's autobiography, if I remember correctly). This was the year he returned to Sousa's Band, after spending the previous five or so years up in Huntsville, Ontario, playing with the Anglo Canadian Leather Co. Band.

He was a tall dude - somewhere around six-and-a-half feet tall (accounts vary)!

Dave Detwiler wrote: ↑Tue Aug 22, 2023 5:11 pm Hi all - one of the most famous, but now largely forgotten, men to play a Conn Sousaphone lived almost his whole life right near where I live. I love it when I find things like that out! The research has begun! Enjoy this little teaser!

https://tubapastor.blogspot.com/2023/08 ... -soon.html

Sousa's bass section - 1904.png

Dave, do you happen to know who is playing that rotary contrabass tuba and/or what make it is?

The one where the valves are clearly exposed.

Thanks!

matt g wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 9:27 am Dave, do you happen to know who is playing that rotary contrabass tuba and/or what make it is?

The one where the valves are clearly exposed.

Thanks!

Not yet - I'm actually trying to find out the identity of each of those tuba players. Bierley's big book on Sousa's Band doesn't have a roster for 1904, and even in the individual personnel bio pages in that book, there are not five that can be tied to 1904.

Here's another image of that 1904 bass section, which gives you a better look at the horns themselves. Interestingly, Richardson is not playing the same Conn Sousaphone that Conrad had been playing at the time he left the band in 1903. It is an earlier version, suggesting that perhaps Conrad took his horn with him when he left.

Two of those rotary tubas appear to be Sanders from Wolfstein in the Rheinland-Pfalz area of Germany, not far from Kaiserslautern. One of those gents might August Helleberg.

jonesbrass wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 10:11 am Two of those rotary tubas appear to be Sanders from Wolfstein in the Rheinland-Pfalz area of Germany, not far from Kaiserslautern. One of those gents might August Helleberg.

That’s where my brains were headed, as a rotary tuba in that configuration wayyyyy back then would certainly be imported, likely along with the player.

matt g wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 10:26 am

jonesbrass wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 10:11 am Two of those rotary tubas appear to be Sanders from Wolfstein in the Rheinland-Pfalz area of Germany, not far from Kaiserslautern. One of those gents might August Helleberg.

That’s where my brains were headed, as a rotary tuba in that configuration wayyyyy back then would certainly be imported, likely along with the player.

Yes, so here is one hypothesis - given the lack of all five names for Sousa Band tubists for 1904. From at least 1898, Conn was outfitting Sousa's Band, and certainly the bass section, with Conn instruments. But only two in this photo seem to be Conns (the Sousaphone for sure, but probably the top action tuba as well). Were the other guys perhaps pulled in just for the World's Fair gig, rather than the regular touring band, and they were allowed to use their own instruments? Or were they perhaps from other bands at the Fair, and Sousa added them to make a bigger bass section for the large crowds - at least for a concert or two, when these photos were taken?

Just thinking out loud here. Weigh in with your thoughts!

Dents Be Gone! wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 1:14 pm Gus wasn’t on the band in 1904, but his son John was…

"Possibly 2nd 1904 tour," regarding John Henry Helleberg, says Bierley - and the World's Fair gig was before that. But could he be the young guy on the end in the photos above? I know there is a photo of Helleberg with his sons floating around somewhere - anyone have that, and can post it here?

Bierley connects Luca Del Negro with Sousa's Band for 1904 - which one do you think he might be in the photos above?

Richardson is the only one I can ID, for obvious reasons! And there are no other tuba players, in Bierley, who are connected with the 1904 World's Fair band but the two above (Richardson and Del Negro), and possibly John Helleberg.

IIRC, Helleberg had two sons that also played tuba, and with Sousa as well. Could be one of them.

I had the photo in question, the three Hellebergs, but can’t find it. Steve Dillon has a copy of it on the wall in his store.

None of those fellows looks like Luca del Negro particularly.

The contrabass BBb tuba second from right was likely made by Maria Wolf of Frauenfeld Switzerland.
Some of these tubas have an internal 23mm valve bore...