Keyed Bugle in Bb by Graves & Co
Graves & Co. was the first shop in the US to manufacture wind
instruments in any quantity, starting with woodwinds in the
1820s. The successful young company built a new factory in
Winchester, New Hampshire in 1830 and in 1837 hired an
English brass instrument maker named James Keat. The timing
was excellent because brass instruments were quickly taking a
larger role in the bands and orchestras of that time. The Keat
family was well established in England as makers and James was
able to bring much of this knowledge and technology of brass
instrument making to this new factory. There Keat built keyed
bugles and some valve brasses but died in 1845. This Bb keyed
bugle contains the design features of those built by Keat and was
likely built very shortly after his death. This was a time that the
soprano bugle in Eb was becoming the solo voice in American
bands and Graves was quick to supply these. Eb keyed bugles
made by Graves contemporary in Boston, E.G. Wright. Most
surviving keyed bugles made in the US are Graves Eb bugles
made before the shop was moved to Boston in 1850 and the
earlier Bb like this one are quite rare. My replica Bb keyed
bugles are copies of this instrument.
It is remarkably well preserved and some of the marks from
scrapers, files and marking tools are still visible on its surface.
The circular crook, bit and mouthpiece may not be original to the
instrument but were found with it and likely used with it
originally. It is 17 1/2" long with crook removed and the bell rim
diameter measures 5 13/16".
Graves history from Robert E. Eliason, Graves & Company
Musical Instrument Makers, Henry Ford Museum, 1975.
Click on images to view larger photographs.
instruments in any quantity, starting with woodwinds in the
1820s. The successful young company built a new factory in
Winchester, New Hampshire in 1830 and in 1837 hired an
English brass instrument maker named James Keat. The timing
was excellent because brass instruments were quickly taking a
larger role in the bands and orchestras of that time. The Keat
family was well established in England as makers and James was
able to bring much of this knowledge and technology of brass
instrument making to this new factory. There Keat built keyed
bugles and some valve brasses but died in 1845. This Bb keyed
bugle contains the design features of those built by Keat and was
likely built very shortly after his death. This was a time that the
soprano bugle in Eb was becoming the solo voice in American
bands and Graves was quick to supply these. Eb keyed bugles
made by Graves contemporary in Boston, E.G. Wright. Most
surviving keyed bugles made in the US are Graves Eb bugles
made before the shop was moved to Boston in 1850 and the
earlier Bb like this one are quite rare. My replica Bb keyed
bugles are copies of this instrument.
It is remarkably well preserved and some of the marks from
scrapers, files and marking tools are still visible on its surface.
The circular crook, bit and mouthpiece may not be original to the
instrument but were found with it and likely used with it
originally. It is 17 1/2" long with crook removed and the bell rim
diameter measures 5 13/16".
Graves history from Robert E. Eliason, Graves & Company
Musical Instrument Makers, Henry Ford Museum, 1975.
Click on images to view larger photographs.