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Frank Holton Revelation Trumpet |
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Frank Holton & Company I have had some Holton trumpets in the past and don't usually buy them but this near pristine example caught my eye on an internet auction. I put in a low bid and was surprised that there was only one other bidder for this in the end. I wanted it not only because it looked like it had no damage but also came with all its original parts and case. I also think the satin sliver plating contrasting with the polished engraving and gold bell is a really nice combination. The other thing that interested me was that the seller had inherited this from the original owner. I hoped this would give me the rare chance to put a name with a horn. Here is the horn as I purchased it.
This only needed minor restoration including re-mounting the pinky hook, removing a few tiny bell dings, and straightening the lead pipe. It was also quite dirty inside with tarnished valves making it likely that it haden't been played in a long time.
Now all polished up and back together. The valves are tight and smooth and the third slide moves well so no real issues. This is the third generation of Revelation trumpets as this has the vertical first slide branches which they changed to in 1926. These are called the "New Revelation" models. This has a 0.458" bore and is 20" long. Most Revelations have a 4-11/16" bell yet this one is 4-1/2".
Holton first introduced the Revelation trumpet in 1920 as this ad below shows.
Another illustration from 1923. Soon after this, the reversed lead pipe design came out and the bell was enlarged from 4-1/2" to 4-11/16".
Gustav Heim helped Holton develop the Revelation trumpet
Luckily, this horn came with its original Heim #2 mouthpiece
This has finish "D" with a satin silver body and gold wash bell.
The patent tuning slide stop rod was designed by William Higgins for Holton and was awarded patent #1,512,023 in 1924. Below is the patent drawing. It looks like I am missing the end nut.
The inside badge mentions Elkhorn and Chicago.
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