![besson and co brevete besson and co brevete](https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--nTSPu82X--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1518678383/tk3kqcfnkxlb5lgt4lzu.jpg)
This cornet is in the collection of Tom Meacham, purchased from a French collector who had photographs of it on his website, where it was hidden in plain sight. Of course, this stamp could also be "BB" indicating " Besson Brevete". My best guess for the moment is "Brevete du Rois" because this was most likely made during the reign of Napoleon III. What can be clearly seen is "BR / Brevete", but it is unknown what the "BR" abreviates. Unfortunately, it is a partial strike and may have some information missing. Another anomaly is the stamp on the second valve balluster. My guess, based on Niles Eldredge's research, is that these instruments were made right around 1850.
BESSON AND CO BREVETE SERIAL NUMBER
That has the serial number 587 and almost certainly made a number of years later. Interestingly, the valve design involves ports in the first and third pistons that make complete 180 degree turns as seen in seen in the third piston of Niles Eldredge's Stoelzel valve Besson cornet. The valve design is unique and not seen in any of the other Besson cornets. He is continuing his work in sorting out Gustave Besson's early years, so stay tuned for future dispatches on this topic, both here and on Josh's website. In his research, Josh was starting to make some sense of the cornets being sold by Pask and Koenig in London that were marked in this way and was becoming convinced that these were also made by G. A while later, I got a phone call from Josh Landress, confirming the number that he could see and other details of the instrument. There is a small "19" stamped on the mouthpipe shank receiver, that I originally thought might indicate that this was a replaced part, never having seen this on a Besson instrument before.
BESSON AND CO BREVETE SERIAL NUMBERS
I found it very interesting that this cornet has no serial number and presumably predates the earliest known instruments that he stamped serial numbers on in about the mid- to late 1850s. Besson established his own shop in about 1838 and moved to 7 rue des 3 Coronnes in about 1845 and that is where this cornet was made. According to the Langwill index, Gustave Auguste Besson apprenticed with another Paris maker, Dujarez, of whom even less is known. In view of these facts, it is surprising how little we seem to know about Besson's earliest years of production. Also, Besson went on to design the modern trumpet. Most of us with more than a casual interest in brass instrument history would agree that Besson and Courtois were the two most important makers in the development of the French style cornet.