Slide Trumpet

This trumpet was made by an unknown maker in England around 1825 to 1827. It is an F slide trumpet made of copper and brass with silver garnishes and a heavily chased silver ball. The trumpet features a double clock slide spring mechanism.

This trumpet was previously owned by Philadelphia composer and musician John T. Norton, a Professor of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, who emigrated from London to the United States in 1827. W.G. Armstrong in his book, A Record of Opera in Philadelphia, indicates Norton’s first appearance in Philadelphia was at the King’s Theatre. Norton also performed with traveling opera troupes in New Orleans and New York.

The single-slide trumpet was invented in order to retain the trumpet in the loud band, and together with the different shawms it could also play chansons, basses dances and motets for the magnate's entertainment.