Tuba Tuesday: Higham, BB flat tuba, 4 rotary, ca.1900

[bisontuba]

This Tuba Tuesday the Museum features a Higham, BB flat tuba, 4 rotary, ca.1900.
Higham partial time line:
1842 Joseph Higham (1818-1883) establishes business at 127 Strangeways in Manchester
1844-47 added location at 105 Chapel St, Salford 1850-63 added location on Victoria Street
1852 now makers to the Army
1857 Higham patents "Clear Bore" cornet w/RV (top photo)
1863 now makers to the army, navy, & for export; 2 Victoria St & 131 Great Ducie
c1880 Cundy of Boston is sole US agent for Higham
1880 new factory added behind office at 127 Strangeways c1881-c1898 Lyon & Healy of Chicago is US agent
1883 Higham dies and is succeeded by son-in-law Peter Robinson (1835- ?)
1887 Cornet #36352 is given to L&H employee Fuller
1889 the business is advertised for sale in June
1891 patent for trombone with echo bell
1892 open branch in London, 84 Oxford St.
1894 46,000 instruments made by this time; 90 employees
1899-1900 London store now at 4 Soho St.
1904 began woodwind production; instruments are made to Kneller Hall pitch of Bb = 479.3 hz
c1910 Fillmore Brothers Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, are sole US agents.





https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... -4-rotary/

[hrender]

I've no idea how this plays, but I am always impressed by how well-proportioned it is.

[humBell]

Apologies for being slow to comment.

I too have a soft spot for Higham, and might even dredge up a of the experiences what gave me such a favorable impression.

I will say these rotary valves have my favorite adjustable tention system. You can spin the thin wheel below (in terms of the picture) each clockspring to tighten it on a ratchet system, which has thumb release should it be too tight.