Clarion in E-flat

George Catlin

ca. 1820 · Wood, metal · Musical Instruments

George Catlin (born Weathersfield, CT, 1778; died Camden, NJ, 1 May 1852) made different kind of musical instruments. He invented the ‘patent clarion’, that is a bassoon shaped bass clarinet. (Waterhouse, NLI, 59.) Overall size: 608 Technical description: Maple or mahogany (?) with brass keywork and ferrules. 3 pieces: mouthpiece with integral barrel, crook and one-piece-body with bell. Mouthpiece marked for a ligature. Crook not movable, so that the clarinet cannot be played, because the mouthpiece must point to the player instead of pointing sideward. All keys mounted in blocks with push pins. All tone holes heavily undercut and lined with brass. In opposite to other bassoon shaped instruments this cannot be cleaned, for example by providng a removable lid at the bottom of the butt. Bevelled F3/C5 touch piece. Extension to C3. L0: TT; speaker. L1: T; throat A♮. L2: T. L3: T. L4: E3/B♮4. R0: T (C3); D3; G♯3. R1: T. R2: T. R3: T. R4: F3/C5. Keyhead type: flat square. Keymount type: blocks. No inscriptions. Playing accessories: Very simple brass ligature. (Heike Fricke, 2014)

Artist

George Catlin

Date

ca. 1820

Medium

Wood, metal

Culture

American

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

Purchase, Clara Mertens Bequest, in memory of André Mertens, 1994