Boston's Black Beauties

The term 'Black Beauty', as it applies to antique snare drums, is typically attached to the blackened shell, ornately engraved snare drums of the 1920s and 1930s manufactured by Ludwig & Ludwig of Chicago. Hardware on these drums, when not actually gold plated which is rare, was commonly lacquered and or plated to achieve a color similar to the metal exposed by the engraving on the blackened shell. The end result is an instrument with a striking appearance. Originally catalogued as the "DeLuxe Model", Ludwig's engraved drums date as early as the late 1910s. It wasn't until 1931 or 1932 that Ludwig adopted the name 'Black Beauty'. Leedy of Indianapolis of course had the "Black Elite" and Duplex of St. Louis made a very small number of "Black Jewels", but it was Ludwig's cross town rival Slingerland with their engraved Artist model who supposedly first used the moniker 'Black Beauty' to describe an engraved, blackened metal shell drum in their advertising around 1928.

Ludwig Black Beauty Snare Drum, ca. 1932 - 1934

But in 1925, several years before Slingerland began using the term, Boston's George B. Stone & Son described in Catalog K (see page 27) the inclusion of a black Separate Tension Drum which they called a Black Beauty. So while no snare drums built by any of the early 20th century Boston makers could truly match Ludwig, Leedy, or Slingerland's metal shell mastery, there are examples of New England-made drums which aimed to emulate the brass against black appearance of such drums.

This George B. Stone & Son Master-Model drum dates from the late 1920s or early 1930s by which time the company was fading from its prime. For better or worse, this drum was subjected to a full restoration at the hands of a previous owner. That much is certain as it arrived with the receipts for the replating work tucked away into the drum case. Faux gold plating, or "Knobby Gold" finish as Stone referred to it in their catalogs, was indeed a factory option meaning that the brass hardware against the black lacquered three ply maple shell seen here may very well be how this instrument looked straight from Stone's shop on Hanover Street. Short of a few All-Metal Master-Models, Stone was never much for making their own metal shell drums. Of the small number of brass shell drums they distributed and the much smaller number of aluminum shell drums they built out, none are known to have been engraved. So this is as close as Stone would come to producing their own 'black beauty'. Nokes & Nicolai also apparently offered a brass over black snare drum. Their All Metal Drums were built around a thick single sheet of aluminum riveted together at the seem. Most shells were buffed and lacquered leaving them to shine in a polished silver color. This particular example however is dressed in black enamel so that the faux gold hardware stands out nicely. It is possible that these finishing touches could have been later modifications, but a close inspection of the drum is inconclusive. Whatever the case, factory original or aftermarket, the drum has not been touched in a very long time so that a nice patina is in place which suits the drum well considering its age. And assuming that the brass over black configuration is original, it is a clear attempt by Nokes & Nicolai to stack up against the black beauties of the world. It's worth mentioning that an engraved, metal shell Stromberg snare drum does supposedly exist. But despite the good word of a highly reputable collector, the drum hasn't surfaced. So for now, the two drums pictured here are the closest we have to what most would think of as a Boston Black Beauty.

Geo. B. Stone & Son Master-Model Drum, ca. late 1920s - early 1930s No-Nic All Metal Drum, ca. early - mid 1920s

Do you have a drum built by one of the early 20th century Boston makers? I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to send Lee an email any time at lee@vinson.net.

J. B. Treat, Drummer

Joseph B. Treat was a well-known drummer and drum maker in Boston during the mid to late 19th century. A native of Connecticut, Treat arrived in Boston by 1860 and became active as an instrument repairman by 1863. His most wide reaching contributions as an instrument maker were his drums built for Boston-based music house Thompson & Odell during the 1880s and 1890s.

Treat served briefly as a drummer in the Boston Corps of Cadets during the Civil War. An independent infantry company, the Cadets were called into federal service for a period of just over one month. The unit was mustered into service on May 26, 1862 and mustered out on July 2, 1862. Treat would have been in his early 40s by this time and apparently never came close to the battle field. The Cadets worked closely with the Governor of Massachusetts and the unit remained small in size. Their main obligation while active for the federal government was to stand watch at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor where they guarded Confederate prisoners. Made up largely of well educated men, the Cadets were widely known as a breeding ground for officers who would go on to lead other regiments of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.

Through the 1860s and 1870s, directory listings place Treat at 86 Tremont and then 50 Bromfield where he worked for the shop of Asa Warren White. Makers labels place the two men in business together as late as 1879. Beginning in 1881, Treat is listed at 177 Washington Street, home of Thompson & Odell.

Billed as "The Celebrated Artist Drum", J. B. Treat's drums for Thompson & Odell were large, rope tension drums intended for military and semi-military purposes. Shells were typically single ply maple, tacked at the seam, with single ply maple reinforcing rings. Hoops were commonly painted black around the outside with the rope connecting to the hoops via cast iron hooks as seen in the example here dating from around 1890.

A brief mention in the Philadelphia Times on Saturday, January 26, 1895 suggests Treat maintained a sharp mind and a keen sense of humor well into his later years.

"Joseph B. Treat, of Boston, is living proof that the forbearance of the American public is wonderful. Had it not been so he would have been killed long ago. He has been a drummer for nearly seventy years and has hardly ever passed a day without pounding his unfortunate instrument more or less."

The last months of Treat’s life were spent at the Soldiers' Home in Chelsea, Massachusetts where he succumbed to heart disease on January 7, 1899 at the age of 78. He was laid to rest at Forest Dale Cemetery in nearby Malden, Massachusetts.

Do you have a drum by J. B. Treat? I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to send Lee an email at lee@vinson.net. And for more on the Boston Drum Builders of the early 20th century, please visit BostonDrumBuilders.com.

A Grand Gran Cassa

The ties between Boston's Oliver Ditson Company and Chicago's Lyon & Healy are evident in the similarities between the two firms' products. It is no mystery as to why, since in 1864 it was Oliver Ditson & Co. who provided the capital to help establish P. J. Healy and George W. Lyon in Chicago. The companies obviously maintained some form of business relationship for many decades to come and the instrument featured here is just another example of that arrangement.

From Elise Abrams Antiques in Great Barrington, Massachusetts comes an enormous rope tension bass drum dating from circa 1890 which bears a label telling us that it manufactured by Lyon & Healy for Ditson. The geometrically patterned wooden marquetry adorning the shell is a common feature on Lyon & Healy's "Monarch" drums around the end of the 19th century. The hand engraved silver plaques, or oversized 'badges', are beautifully engraved with wording stating, again, that this instrument was manufactured for Oliver Ditson, not by Ditson.

Oliver Ditson Bass Drum by Lyon & Healy, ca. 1890

Ditson Bass Drum Wooden Marquetry

But the most striking thing about this bass drum is its sheer size. The reported diameter is a whopping 40 inches! Instruments of this size were not frequently produced for a number of reasons. For one, shells this large were difficult to build and drumheads of the necessary size were challenging to locate. Also, transporting such a behemoth would have presented logistical problems for most drummers. And given the amount of sound that a 40 inch bass drum could generate, an instrument of this scale would have been best suited for performance applications involving a very large group of musicians such as a full concert band or symphony orchestra. From the lettering on the drumhead, it appears that this instrument hasn't traveled far from its home in Bangor, Maine where it belonged to the Bangor Band.

Lyon & Healy for Oliver Ditson Drum Label

Lyon & Healy for Oliver Ditson Drum Badge

Amazingly, after more than 100 years, the Bangor Band still exists. And even more incredibly, a historical photo on the band's website taken on Memorial Day in 1898 shows a group of musicians posed for a picture with their instruments including what may be this very drum! The wording on the head is a very close match to the one still mounted on the drum minus the logo in the center. And if nothing else, the size of the drum looks to be quite large, the height reaching higher than the waist of anyone who stands next to it.

Bangor Band, Memorial Day, 1898

Oliver Ditson Bass Drum by Lyon & Healy, ca. 1890

Do you have a drum made by or for Oliver Ditson & Co.? I'd like to hear from you! Feel free to send Lee an email at lee@vinson.net. And for more on Ditson and many other Boston based drum makers of the early 20th century, please visit www.BostonDrumBuilders.com.

A Christmas Master-Model

Nothing says Happy Holidays like a Master-Model drum from Boston's own George B. Stone & Son! This instrument, which has been in the collection for several years now, is date stamped December 23, 1923 making it exactly 91 years old today. This particular example bears its original "Black De Luxe Finish" with nickel plated hardware and is in very good condition. The rosewood grommet, cylindrical tension nuts, long arm throw-off, and Stromberg butt plate are all indicative of the first generation Master-Models produced in 1922 and 1923. Look for a more comprehensive dating guide for the Stone Master-Model drums during the coming year. There is of course no way to know, but I'd like to think that once upon a time this drum was gift wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. It would have been a nice way for some young New England drummer to bang in the new year almost a century ago.

1923 George B. Stone & Son Master-Model Drum

Do you have a Master-Model drum or another instrument by Geo. B. Stone & Son? I would love to hear from you! Send Lee an email at lee@vinson.net.

The Smallest of the Small

By the first decade of the 1900s, smaller snare drum sizes were fast becoming the norm for use in popular music. These lighter musical styles, which would one day evolve into jazz and eventually morph into rock and roll, called for brighter sounding instruments than the military music of earlier days which utilized drums so regularly.

By the 1920s, fourteen inches had become the most common snare drum diameter with fifteen inch drums being offered as an alternative for larger performance settings. Drums intended for classical and popular music generally ranged from about 3" to 8" in depth. The military instruments of the previous century were typically 16" or larger in diameter and much deeper. While the 14" diameter ultimately proved to be the most widely accepted because of its versatility, 15" drums were offered by many makers through the mid 20th century as "band" drums generally intended for large concert bands and symphony orchestras, and on instruments produced for use with marching bands and drum and bugle corps.

The comparatively minute diameter of 13" may be a common size for piccolo snare drums today (with still smaller options available for special effects), but this was a very small instrument in relation to the other professional level offerings circa 1900 - 1920. Outside of toy drums or instruments intended for children, drums smaller than 14" were not typical. On the very edge of the size spectrum would be the 3" x 13" professional model as seen below.

The newest addition to the collection is a Thumbscrew Rod Orchestra Drum by Boston's Nokes & Nicolai dating from about 1912. This particular piece comes from dry climate and is quite well preserved with no significant damage to the wooden components. The shell is solid steam bent maple, complete with original rosewood grommet. What is atypical about this drum for Nokes & Nicolai is the original 'Mahogany' finish which is clearly stained maple, not mahogany veneer. Nokes & Nicolai's catalog American Drummer No. 5 dating from the early to mid 1910s boasts "We can make any size or style Snare Drum from any material. NO VENEERS USED IN OUR DRUM SHELLS." Perhaps this stained finish was, at that time, the solution to a customer's request for a shell built from some material other than the commonly used maple.

Nokes & Nicolai Thumbscrew Rod Orchestra Drum ca. 1912

Nokes & Nicolai American Drummer No. 6 published circa 1918 claims "Solid Mahogany, Rosewood or Bird's-eye Maple shells add $1.50 to above prices" so it may be the case that different wooden shell materials were a later addition to the company's offerings. The 3" x 13" size is listed in both catalogs No. 5 and 6 with an even tinier 2" x 13" offered in the earlier catalog but not in the later.

The most intriguing thing about this drum is the label inside. While partially missing, the label clearly read "F. E. DODGE CO. / 3 APPLETON ST. / BOSTON, MASS." The badge affixed to the top hoop, however, reads NOKES & NICOLAI / BOSTON, MASS." So it would appear that this instrument dates to right around the time when the company was handed off from F. E. Dodge to Nokes & Nicolai in 1912 making this something of a transition drum.

F. E. Dodge drum label, ca. 1912

Nokes & Nicolai drum badge, ca. 1912

Do you have an instrument made by Nokes & Nicolai or F. E. Dodge? I'd like to hear from you! Feel free to send Lee an email at lee@vinson.net. And for more on Nokes & Nicolai and their predecessors F. E. Dodge, please visit BostonDrumBuilders.com.