1810-40—Strasbourg, France: An image by artist Boersch Thiébaut (1782-1861) that is part of set of figurines executed between 1810 and 1850 features musicians of the 14th Regiment, including 2 rear-facing trombones (see below image; public domain) (Paris, musée de l’Armée).

1820-39—Rotterdam, Netherlands: A catchpenny print by T.C. Hoffers and A. van Alphen depicting various military instruments includes 2 rear-facing trombones, one with a dragon bell (see below detail; public domain) (Catchpenny Prints of the Dutch Royal Library).

1866-1897—The Netherlands: Printer Franciscus Anthonius Beersmans publishes a woodcut, Ten strijde! (“To battle!”), that features several Dutch military musicians, including one with a rear-facing trombone (see image below—click for larger version; public domain) (Catchpenny Prints of the Netherlands Royal Library).

1826—Broek, Netherlands: March of the Cavalry, a “catchpenny” military print that features numerous musicians, includes a rear-facing trombone on horseback (see detail and full image below; public domain).

1821—Italy: A depiction of musicians from the Italian grenadiers includes a trombonist with a rear-facing instrument (see facing image; public domain) (Melegari 147).

1807-08—Germany: Christoph and Cornelius Suhr, in their book on military uniforms in Hamburg (Abbildung der uniformen aller in Hamburg), published in the early 1820s, depict musicians from the Dutch military in Hamburg from the years 1807-08. Included is a musician with a somewhat awkwardly-rendered rear-facing trombone (see below image; public domain).

There is, however, an interesting collection of trombone history images, originating from sets of 19th-century military figurines, that depicts trombones as paper figurines. Although many such images are available, all of the examples shown below were produced by the Wurtz and Pées family in Strasbourg, France, between 1825 and 1850. These depictions appear to be quite literal, as their creators (and collectors) were known to obsess over such minutiae as the color of buttons on a given uniform or the type of insignia on the battalion’s hat. I have cropped several of the images to better show the trombonists, but each one comes from a very specific military regiment. A few things are noteworthy about the pictures in the context of trombone history: 1) every one of the trombones is rear-facing (for more on this, see Backward Advances: Rear-Facing Trombones Throughout History), 2) the fifth set of pictures includes what appears to be a rear-facing buccin, or trombone with dragon bell, 3) several of the pictures also include an instrument called the serpent, a wind instrument considered a predecessor to the tuba (for more on the serpent throughout history, see Serpent & Ophicleide: History and Images), and finally, 4) several of the figurines represent mounted regiments, with trombonists in the seemingly awkward position of trying to play while riding on horseback (for more such images, see Hi Ho, Brass! Trombones on Horseback). Overall, the pictures provide an interesting snapshot of the trombone in the 19th century military band (for more on the trombone in the military throughout history, see here and here). I will soon be adding several of the pictures to the 19th century timeline (first half), which should help place them in historical context.

1869—Paris, France: A print by Alfred-Henri Darjou entitled The Entertainers Behind the Barracks appears in the French illustrated newspaper, L’Illustration. Four musicians–flute, rear-facing trombone, ophicleide, and drums–rehearse together at a makeshift table (see below image; public domain) (L’Illustration vol. LIV, July 24, 1869, p. 60).

I also added the image to the Ophicleide History and Images post, which I continue to update from time to time.

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c. 1830—Vienna, Austria: K.k. Österreichischer Militair Leichen-Conduct, lithograph no. 8 from a series edited by Michael Tretsentsky, shows a military band that includes trombones with both traditional and rear-facing bells (see below image–click image for larger version; public domain) (Pirker).

1865—Paris, France: A satirical graphic titled Domestic joys of parents whose daughters take part in women’s orchestras, published in Le monde illustré, includes a woman playing a rear-facing trombone (see below image; public domain) (Le monde illustré, 9, no. 442; Sept 30 1865).