Medals

Karl Moritz (Charles) Missenharter, Instrument Maker

Karl Moritz Missenharter (Ulm, Germany 1829 - 1899 New York, USA) was born, married, started a family and began working with his father, Joseph Anton Missenharter in his brass instrument fabrication shop in Ulm Germany. He came to the United States in 1869 to start his own factory, the Missenharter Brass Instrument Factory in New York, USA. He is listed sometimes in older listings as M. Missenharter. When he left Germany he sold his company to his brother-in-law Karl (Charles Frederich Stahlecker) who continued to make metal toys and some musical instruments.

The Missenharter Brass Instrument Factory

Charles Missenharter built his company, won many awards and medals and created many brass instruments that are still around today. He produced Trumpets, Cornets, Tubas, Trombone, French Horns, Euphoniums, Fire horns, Fire whistles and the cases required for each in both Germany and in New York. Many of the instruments had elaborate carvings and many decorations. See the Instruments for pictures of the ones I have been able to gather. He won the awards at the International Exhibitions and American Institute.

Charles Sr. sold his company to Charles Coleman in 1891, Coleman kept using the Missenharter name until 1917.

You can scroll down to #6802, # 6805, #6909 # 11807 to listen to those instruments being played.

The instruments were numbers sequentially from what I have found and put them in order to help with finding the ones I have found or that have found me. I have seen that the value of the instruments varies widely. From many years of monitoring the condition and value of his instruments, I have seen them for less than a hundred dollars for a tarnished and dented, missing parts cornet. Then for a "nice" cornet with most of the extras and maybe a few dents and dings are a few hundred dollars. The really nice ones that are restored, all working, no dents, original case, all extra parts etc.. are several hundred dollars. I have seen a few go for over a thousand that could belong in a museum. As with any collectable, the value is in the condition. Many of these that get listed are not in playable condition, air leaks, sticking valves etc. You can compare yours to others on Ebay and similar sites for price comparisons of instruments of the same age and condition.

Please contact me with any questions or potential items for sale as I would be happy to share any other information I may have. I have a few instruments that I was able to obtain and cleaned up that my grandchildren have started to play, it's amazing that they can play something that their 5th great grandfather made and still sounds great.

Missenharter, Charles (Karl Moritz) (b. Ulm, 17 Sept 1829; d. Jersey City, New Jersey, May 1899). German brass instrument maker. He received his early training with his father, the instrument maker Johann Anton Missenharter, in Ulm, and established his own business in Ulm in 1856. According to a sales catalog, he also learned from leading manufacturers in Paris, London, Vienna, and Berlin; a journey to London in 1855 is documented. In 1861 Missenharter moved to Stuttgart, before immigrating to New York in 1869. He received over a dozen medals at trade exhibitions, starting in 1862 at the International Industrial Exhibition in London. His company, Missenharter & Cie., was granted on 19 June 1869 a French patent for a cornet d’appel. His New York firm was bought by Harry Coleman of Philadelphia in 1892 and continued until 1917 under the original name.

A copper tenor-bass trombone in B-flat made about 1861 in the Missenharter factory in Stuttgart with the Württemberg coat-of-arms was lost during World War II. Brass instruments survive in the German style with rotary valves (from the Stuttgart era), with American-type string rotary valves, and typical French and American cornets.

Bibliography: W. Waterhouse: The New Langwill Index (London, 1993), 266; G. Dullat, Verzeichnis der Holz- und Metallblasinstrumentenmacher auf deutschsprachigem Gebiet (Tutzing, 2010), 326; Ken Rogers, Charles Missenharter; Niall O’Loughlin/Sabine K. Klaus

Joseph Anton Missenharter

b. 1799-Tattnang (Missenhardt) -d. 1868 Ulm Germany

Joseph Anton Missenharter is Charles Missenharters' father and was also an instrument maker.

Medaille 1st Class Exposition Universelle1855 Paris

Whistle: police or Fire Whistle made in Stuttgart

Whistle: Police or Fire Whistle made in Stuttgart

Medaille Londres 1862 (London)

Ballad Horn, after 1862, no number

# 202 German Rotary Horn circa 1865, no number

Exposition Universelle Paris 1867

# 512 Bugle, made after 1867 and before 1869

# 1703 Hunting Horn 1868

# 2222 Hunting Horn

Schutzenfest Whistle dated 1868

Rotary Valve Cornet no number

# 5420 Cornet

Centennial Exhibition Philadelphia 1876 Medaille 1st Class

# 5462 Cornet

# 5477 Pocket Cornet 1876

# 5500 Baritone Serpent dated Dec. 23 1877

# 5512 Cornet

# 5513 Cornet

# 5564 Cornet

American Institute Award in San Francisco 1876

# 5590 Tuba

# 5594 Flugel or French Horn

# 5618 Cornet

# 5623 Cornet

# 5643 Cornet

# 5692 Cornet

# 5724 Cornet

# 5731 Cornet

# 5735 Cornet

# 5755 Cornet

# 5758 Cornet

# 5784 Cornet

# 5805 Alto Horn

# 5823 Cornet

# 5824 Cornet

# 5851 Cornet

# 5862 Cornet

# 5881 Cornet

# 5906 Cornet

# 5930 Trumpet

# 5999 Cornet

No Photo available

# 6058 Cornet

# 6068 Cornet

# 6075 Tuba

# 6095 Cornet

# 6108 Cornet

# 6132 Cornet

# 6169 Cornet

# 6210 Cornet

# 6350 Cornet

# 6380 Cornet Serpent

# 6387 Cornet

# 6391 Gold Cornet Serpent

# 6420 Cornet

# 6448 Cornet

# 6466 Baritone

# 6467 Alto Tuba

# 6483 Cornet

# 6520 Cornet

# 6532 Trombone

# 6620 Alto

# 6631 cornet

# 6674 Bugle

# 6675 Cornet

# 6690 Horn

# 6802 Cornet

Listen to 6802 being played here.

The above sample is of retired Crystal Record's soloist Ned Gardner. He recorded 3 early 20th-century cornet solos on the Missenharter as part of the program of a 1980 album entitled "In Recital" (a Visiting Artist project for the NC Dept. of Community Colleges). (note: this is the only known professionally recorded Missenharter instrument). The works are "Stars in the Velvety Sky"(1919) by Clarke, "My Regards"(1908) by Llewellyn, and "Willow Echoes"(1920) by Simon.

# 6805 Alto

click here to hear 6805 being played

# 6811 cornet

# 6909 Cornet

Listen to 6909 by clicking here.

The above song was played by Ryan, who graduated high school -2017. and will be studying music at George Mason University next fall. As a gift, his aunt found an old cornet that she wanted to give to him. It was a Missenharter!