1890s CG Conn Stringed Instrument Catalog Guitar Banjo Violin Worcester RARE For Sale

1890s CG Conn Stringed Instrument Catalog Guitar Banjo Violin Worcester RAREWhen you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.


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1890s CG Conn Stringed Instrument Catalog Guitar Banjo Violin Worcester RARE:
$178.95

Dimensions: 9" x 12"
Up for sale is an incredibly rare, 100% complete 16-page original late 19th-century Victorian trade catalog titled "Catalogue of Orchestral Stringed Instruments," manufactured and imported by the world-renowned C. G. Conn musical empire.
Dating to circa 1892–1895, this museum-grade publication represents a fascinating and short-lived chapter in American music history, carrying the highly collectible dual imprint of Conn's primary factories in Elkhart, Indiana and his satellite distribution hub in Worcester, Massachusetts. While brass instrument catalogs from Conn survived in minor quantities, their dedicated catalogs for stringed instruments and orchestra trimmings are virtually impossible to find.
The interior pages serve as a phenomenal reference work, packed from edge to edge with exceptionally crisp, high-contrast Victorian woodblock engravings, detailed parts lists, and period pricing metrics:- Stringed Orchestral Instruments: Full feature layouts for standard and Fancy Ornamented Violins, Italian Violins, Violoncellos, and Double Basses.- Banjo & Guitar Boom: Detailed displays for "The Talmadge" and "The Clark" model Banjos, Piccolo Banjos, and full-bodied Concert Guitars featuring solid rosewood and Spanish cedar necks.- Novelty & Folk Instruments: Features for specialized Mandolins, Chromatic Xylophones, Autoharps, Zithers, Tuning Hammers, and early clay Ocarinas.- Woodwind, Brass & Marching Gear: Inverted catalog plates for Flutes, Piccolos, Infantry Bugles, Cavalry Trumpets, and Officer's Bugles.- Marching Band Ephemera: A fascinating specialty ad displaying an 1888 patent for Conn's proprietary outdoor lamps, band stand lights, and unique marching hat lamps.
The reverse cover acts as a visual masterpiece, displaying a stately portrait of Charles Gerard Conn alongside a massive architectural woodcut of his sprawling Elkhart factory block, celebrated as "The Greatest Repository on Earth." An absolute centerpiece for advanced collectors of antique musical instruments, Victorian stringed instrument history, or early American industrial advertising.
Item Specifications:- Title: Catalogue of Orchestral Stringed Instruments and Trimmings- Manufacturer/Issuer: C. G. Conn- Locations: Elkhart, Indiana & Worcester, Massachusetts- Era: Late Victorian (Circa 1892-1895)- Page Count: 16 Pages (Fully complete, including pink tinted covers)- Featured Instruments: Guitars, Banjos, Violins, Mandolins, Trumpets, Bugles
Condition:Please review all images for detail and condition. This 130+ year old paper catalog is in antique condition. The booklet is clean and structurally complete with no loose or missing pages. Some change in pigment tone on the covers. The spine fold shows minor, expected age wear and trivial soft creasing along the outer edges consistent with safe archival storage over the last century. All internal woodcuts, typography, and pricing indicators remain impeccably sharp and clear.


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