| Hi,
It looks like Cornet1 has things well in hand!
The company that became Couesnon was begun by A. G. Guichard in 1827 . . . one of the earliest horn makers that survived into the late 20th century.
Gautrot bought 'em in 1845 . . . and added the Triebert company in 1881. As an oboe player, have you heard of the vintage Triebert oboes? They were legendary in their time!
In 1883 Amedee Couesnon bought Triebert-Gautrot and became a real giant. Couesnon pumped out tons of instruments in the late 19th century and early 20th century and, by 1911 they had EIGHT factories and 1,000 employees! They dominated international sales in those "glory days" of the brass band craze, making lots of private label ("stencil") horns as well as their own brands.
Long before other trumpet makers maked high trumpets, Couesnon had developed their own . . . making, in decending order:
Piccolo in Bb/A
High F/G
Eb/D
C/Bb (like yours)
Bb/A mezzo-soprano (like we all own)
They also make single key trumpets in C and Bb too, of course.
Their pro horns went by the "Monopole" name, and there were several Monopole variations.
Alas, the two World Wars were not kind to Paris or French companies and the proud old company went into decline. The company was just an anemic shell of their former glory when the devastating fire wiped out the company's manufacturing facilities, blueprints and records . . . and put lots of folks out of work for good.
Nearly 20 years after their company-ending fire a former worker who was making fiberglass cases bought rights to the Couesnon name and started the "new" Couesnon. Like the "new" Olds line of today, I do not consider the new Coueson company to be a direct decendant of the old.
Hope you enjoy your vintage horn. Through the years Couesnon made zillions of horns. Some were cheap "stencils," some were student grede . . . some were just average . . . and some were really nice! In this way, they were like the American giant C.G. Conn of the same late 19th century era!
Sincerely,
Tom Turner |