It’s not what you think. Jules Worms was a French artist who lived from 1832 to 1914. Both of the below images by him were recently added to the 19th century timeline (2nd half), and both are a bit quirky: 1860—Paris, France: Jules Worms depicts a somewhat villainous-looking trombonist in Le cabaret du Lapin-Blanc, an art [...]
Trombone History: First Non-Italian Depiction of Trombone
March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Added the following to the 16th century timeline, possibly the first non-Italian depiction of the trombone. Below the first two images and caption I’m also adding here an image I didn’t include in the timeline–I wider shot that includes the church’s organ as well. 1508—Gonesse, France: In what may constitute the earliest non-Italian visual depiction [...]
Trombone History: 16th Century Angel-Trombonist
March 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Added the following image and caption to the 16th century timeline–yet another example of an angel-trombonist, this time going solo. The engraving probably originates from Germany. c. 1570—An engraving by Franz Ignaz Brun from the Nine Muses series features an angel-musician playing trombone (see below image; public domain) (British Museum).
Trombonist-Panhandler in 19th Century France
March 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Added the below image and caption to the 19th century timeline (2nd half). It is not known whether the trombonist fared any better than Joshua Bell did recently in the NY subway, or whether the “poor dog” is in reference to the trombonist or the actual canine. 1854—Paris, France: A drawing published in the French [...]
Trombone Saves Man’s Life
March 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Just added this touching story to the 19th century timeline (2nd half): 1875—New York: Harper’s Magazine publishes a humorous fictional piece, “The Story of a Trombone,” with illustrations by Charles Reinhardt. The story is about a man who lives below a French trombonist whose practicing has become an annoyance. “It is not to be endured,” [...]
Bassoonist Does Battle
March 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Another off-topic post, again about an image that I couldn’t pass up from Cassin-Scott and Fabb’s Military Bands and Their Uniforms (London: Blandford Press, 1978): We occasionally hear stories about military musicians pressed into actual combat situations. This picture, a 19th century engraving, captures a French bassoonist getting creative in order to hold off a [...]
Bandmaster Cigarettes–A Different Era
March 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This is off-topic, but I came across this authentic cigarette advertisement from c. 1900 in Cassin-Scott and Fabb’s Military Bands and Their Uniforms (London: Blandford Press, 1978, p. 93) (see below image; public domain). There are several things here that make you scratch your head. We truly live in a different era!