February 10, 2009 by Bruce Hembd

Archived under: Rare/cool or just odd, Reviews

Allen Valves: A Rotary Club of Its Own


6820AllenvalveFAQ1 Allen Valves: A Rotary Club of Its Own

Square peg meets round hole.

In a visit to the web site of the National Music Museum I discovered a rather unusual valve configuration that I had never seen before.

Allen valves were an invention attributed to Joseph Lathrop Allen, a Boston brass instrument maker. He produced his first valves of this type sometime after 1853. The concept was a longer, more slender valve with rectangular-shaped tubing and valve ports.

The smaller diameter valve produced a very quick valve action that, according to the museum’s web site, gained some popularity in America.

Other oddities and rare items worth checking out at the same site:

*Image used without permission under the auspices of fair and limited use.

BRUCE HEMBD is a web marketing developer by day who plays French horn professionally at night.» More information about Bruce Hembd » More articles by Bruce Hembd » Contact

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Allen Valves: A Rotary Club of Its Own
Published on February 10, 2009 by Bruce Hembd

Archived under: Rare/cool or just odd, Reviews
John Ericson & Bruce Hembd
on the French horn, brass related topics, and the field of classical music.