Title: Cornet

Maker: C. G. Conn

Model: Wonder Solo; Presentation Model to Patrick Gilmore

Date: 1886

Geography: Elkhart, Indiana, United States

Material: Brass

Serial Number: 12922

Accession Number: GL-014_A1-14

Provenance: Founding Greenleaf Donation from Conn Museum, 1969

Description

Key: B-flat/A

Pitch: High/Low

Finish: Gold-plated, burnished

Lacquer: TBD

Engraving: Lavishly engraved by James H. Gardner (Conn master engraver). Ornate engraving over entire instrument and accessories. See description below.

Mouthpiece: Unsigned mouthpiece with inlaid mother-of-pearl rim.

Accessories: Original display stand, lyre, mute, and drip catcher.

Case: TBD

Notes:

Created as a gift to Irish-American bandleader Patrick Gilmore (1829-1892) upon his retirement in c. 1892. Sadly, Gilmore died in the same year that he received this cornet.
Engraving includes James H. Gardner’s (Conn master engraver) signature on back of shepherd’s crook, and “MADE BY / C. G. CONN / ELKHART, IND.” within a cartouche.
Featured in “Elkhart's Brass Roots” exhibition of 1994 (item #9).
Description from “Elkhart's Brass Roots” exhibition catalog by Margaret Downie Banks: “Engraving includes a central oval panel featuring the head of Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore; angels playing the harp and lyre; an American eagle clutching a lyre, a herald's trumpet, a trident, arrows, and a laurel wreath; a naked woman; a village located on a body of water with mountains in the background; doves; a butterfly; roses; numerous varieties of flowers, leaves, and vines; urns; a variety of decorative devices; and, on the interior of the bell, American and European flags, shields, and stars. PAT. JUNE / 15, 1886 stamped on second valve (patent #343,888 by C. G. Conn, for Wonder valve design). Three tower-spring pistons, three guidepins each. Double water key on tuning slide with bent thumb lever accessible next to the second valve. Water reservoir with acorn-shaped finials, designed by Eugene Dupont, attached to bottom of valve cluster. Bore .465” (11.8 mm). Bell diameter 5”.” (Source: Banks, Margaret Downie. Elkhart’s Brass Roots. The Shrine to Music Museum, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 1994. Page 22.)
Gold-plated mute, engraved with geometric decorations and stamped “HOCH’S PAT. / C. G. Conn / Maker”. Mute includes an acorn-shaped finial on top.
Piston valves with mother-of-pearl caps.
This cornet is on display at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona (as of 2026).
Excerpt from the Musical Instrument Museum catalog Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments: “This gold-plated cornet was presented to star soloist, composer, and ‘Father of the American Band,’ Patrick Gilmore (1829-1892). It is embellished by extensive engraving, including an unmistakable portrait of Gilmore on the bell. By the time it was made, the Irish American had distinguished himself by leading the best bands in the nation and establishing some of America’s most enduring musical traditions, such as Boston Pops concerts, performances at Madison Square Garden (originally Gilmore’s Concert Garden), and New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square.” (Source: Jordán, Manuel, et al. Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments. Musical Instrument Museum, 2021. ISBN: 978-0-9853274-8-4. Page 45.)