Contempora Double Horn, Exposition Model

This Reynolds Contempora Double French Horn was recently offered for sale, accompanied by the photos below and letter of authenticity signed by Clark Newman, President of Taylor Music (Aberdeen, South Dakota):

"This Olds French Horn originally was manufactured for the Olds Company when it was a division of Chicago Musical Instruments, along with its companion model, the Olds trumpet; both were highly engraved and used as Exposition models (Expositions were similar to today's Trade Shows, only they were international in scope; for instance, this horn would be displayed in Paris, etc.

In the early 1980's, the Norlin Company (new name of CMI) went out of the band instrument business; sold most of the brass dies to Selmer (they became the new "Back Mercedes" line) and, as a part of the disposal of all of the band instrument assets, I had a chance to acquire this French Horn and it's companion, the highly engraved Exposition Trumpet.

I bought them in a large shipment of instruments as part of the whole deal ... they were considered valuable enough at Olds and at Norlin that they were kept in a huge company safe; Neil Smith took me into the safe to look at them once, and I never saw them again until I was able to purchase them; I believe that no Norlin executive could get his hands on them, or buy them, without getting into trouble ... so that is how I was able to acquire them.

Instrument engraving has become almost prohibitively expensive and these are particularly high works of art; it is difficult to estimate what it would cost to duplicate this engraving today.

This matched pair of instruments has undoubtedly traveled around the globe, wherever the Olds Company, and later Chicago Musical Instrument, and finally Norlin Company displayed or used them as their show models."

The letter introduces an "Olds French Horn", presumably because manufacturing of the brass Reynolds Contempora horns was based in Olds' Fullerton plant during the mid/late 1960s and 1970s. The serial number 250761 dates it to 1970.

Photo Gallery

Photos used with permission from eBay Member: hornbndr