1. The Contempora model name is associated with almost all instruments that were branded “Reynolds” in the earlier catalog. However, note that while the price list at the end has been updated, the catalog pages still refer to “Reynolds” models.
2. The Emperor line is introduced. Note that the “Tone Tempered” models with nickel-silver bell flares were part of the Roth lineup in 1949. Brass bell models are not shown in the catalog, but are included in the price list at the back.
3. With the exception of the nickel-silver clarinet, all Regent model instruments have been excised from the catalog, despite the “3 R’s” branding on the catalog cover.
4. First known use of the “Professional” brand name for the Reynolds cornet and tenor trombone. Why it was not used on the trumpet is unknown.
5. An Emperor bass trombone with “medium large bore” and an 8½” bell. This likely became the Professional Bass Trombone in later catalogs.

This appears to be a transition catalog. The time period from 1949-1952 is when Scherl & Roth asserted their ownership of the Reynolds business and began to point the product marketing and manufacturing in a new direction. In this catalog, the most well-known brand names of the Reynolds’ catalog are being introduced — Contempora, Emperor, Professional — and the absence of the “F.A. Reynolds” name on the front cover foreshadows the future “Roth-Reynolds” business name.

Given this date, perhaps somewhat more interesting to me was the unexpected absence of the Emperor line. According the Reynolds’ trademark application, the first use of the Emperor trademark for commerce was November 1947, while the first use of the Contempora trademark was May 1949. As such, I would have expected to see an Emperor instrument line in this catalog if the assumed 1949 date is correct. But the only model lines listed are Reynolds (including Contempora), Roth and Regent.

On closer examination, it turns out that the Emperor trademark application was submitted a year later than the Contempora application and perhaps it’s more likely that the model line launched in c.1950 instead of the earlier date (which would also explain why no Emperor instruments have turned up with serial  numbers lower than a Contempora).

As such, I’m now speculating that the Emperor line may have been introduced when the Regent line was discontinued and the Roth line became the new “student” model line. The Emperor then inherited “advanced” features such as the nickel-silver bell flare that had previously been exclusive Roth features.

• It is clearly after 1946, when Scherl & Roth took over operations, but before c.1952 when the business name changed to “Roth-Reynolds”. So between 1946-1952…
• The trumpet and cornet illustrations all feature the flattened bottom valve caps that were introduced in the late 1940s. This design change occurred circa serial number 21000, which is in the same range of the first known Contempora models.
• The “new” Contempora trumpet is featured, but the cornet is not mentioned. In fact, the only other instrument in the catalog to explicitly mention the “Contempora” name is the bass trombone, although the catalog illustration still shows an “F.A. Reynolds” engraving style. All other instruments were simply referred to as “Reynolds” models.

As such, this catalog is probably from the fall of 1949, a few months after the claimed “first use” of the Contempora trademark. The primary instrument lines are Reynolds, Roth and Regent, as illustrated on the cover art at right, though the latter is relegated to the back cover and only the Regent trumpet, cornet, trombone and clarinet are listed from the full line of instruments that was previously documented.

Note also that the Contempora designation was treated as a sub-brand of the Reynolds line, e.g. “Reynolds Contempora”. This is most likely why early Contempora models have “Reynolds” engraved across the bell flare, in addition to the familiar “retro” Contempora script.

The key data point is that the change in engraving styles to the style shown at right on these instruments occurred in late 1945 or 1946, rather than c.1942 as previously projected. Based on documented horns, the change occurred around SN 9000.

In addition to meaning that fewer horns were made in the first ten years than previously thought, the primary takeaway is that there was a rapid acceleration in the manufacturing rate after Scherl & Roth took over in 1946, going from SN 9000 to ~21000 in the spring of 1949 when the first Contempora instruments were made.

Second, note the illustration of the trumpet. While the bell is only shown from the side, the engraving style is consistent with Reynolds’ earliest instruments. For trumpets, cornets and trombones, there are two key engraving styles on F.A. Reynolds instruments, with a change occurring around SN 9000, which would be c.1942-43 by my serial number estimates. However, this is a 1946 advertisement, meaning that either an old trumpet illustration was still being used or that the change in engraving styles happened later than previously estimated.

Let’s speculate that the engraving style change actually happened around the time of the ownership change in 1946. That would push SN 9000 to 1946 for an average of ~900 instruments/year in the company’s first decade, keeping in mind that Reynolds’ subsidiary Ohio Band was producing a much larger number of school-grade instruments on the same factory floor, presumably with the same workforce.

Most of the Reynolds instruments that have been documented with SNs between 4000-9000 were made for the USAAF military bands – these would still fit into an appropriate time window from c.1940-46. Further, if SN 21000 remains fixed to the end of 1949 and the introduction of the Contempora brand, that would mean that the manufacturing rate increased to ~3500 horns/year between 1946-1949.

Given all of the above, the early serial number chart might look like:

As I’ve noted on the serial number pages, using serial numbers to identify the exact production dates of Reynolds instruments is inherently inaccurate because so much speculation is involved. All of the above is based on a specific illustration style appearing in a specific print ad on a specific date, which seems specific enough, however the caveat is that old illustrations were still appearing in Reynolds catalogs during the 1950s, making it difficult to make definite proclamations regarding manufacturing dates.

That said, the later F.A. Reynolds engraving style (with a vertical “F.A. Reynolds” in block letters) does appear in a 1949 print ad…

In the time I had allotted, I was able to discover several items about Foster Reynolds and the F.A. Reynolds Co. that I didn’t previously know and/or could only assume. In addition, I was able to take the items learned and run some additional genealogical searches to discover additional information.

• Foster Reynolds’ parents were Mr. Thomas M. Reynolds (d.1904) and Mrs. Lorena (Woods) Reynolds (1857-1939).
• After her husband’s death, Mrs. Reynolds lived on the family’s farm near Lodi, Ohio for over 30 years until she moved to Cleveland for the last two years of her life.
• In addition to Foster Reynolds’ younger brother, Harper A. Reynolds, there was another brother, Milo D. Reynolds (dates unknown).
• Foster Reynolds’ first wife was Frances L. Dean. They were married on October 28, 1903, perhaps in Elkhart.
• Foster and Frances Reynolds had two daughters: Florence Bernice (Reynolds) Hange (1904-87, married May 1927) and Frances L. (Reynolds) Mathewson (1915-2000, married Sep. 1939).
• There was also an unidentified son who attended a funeral with Mrs. Reynolds in 1927.
• Foster and Frances Reynolds separated no later than 1939, with Mrs. Reynolds keeping possession of the family’s residence in Cleveland Heights.
• Foster Reynolds’ second wife was Myrtle Rozelle, daughter of Fred and Mary Rozelle.
• Harper Reynolds was the treasurer of the F.A. Reynolds Co.
• F.A. Reynolds Co. had six months worth of domestic and international orders in hand when the business was started.
• Confirmation that Ohio Band Instrument Company was a subsidiary of F.A. Reynolds Co. Ohio Band incorporated later in 1936, with the primary stockholders being Foster Reynolds, Harper Reynolds and Max Scherl.
• The latter confirms that the tie between F.A. Reynolds Co. and Scherl & Roth began even before the latter moved to Cleveland in 1938.
• Reynolds offered silver and gold plating services to other companies during World War II.
• Max Scherl is listed as president of F.A. Reynolds in July 1946.

These and various other details have been edited into the history pages of Foster A. Reynolds, the Ohio Band Instrument Company and the Reynolds company timeline.

* * * * *

Update: thanks to The Clerk of Courts office in Cleveland, Ohio, I’ve been able to confirm that Foster and Frances Reynolds’ divorce was finalized on February 9, 1935, less than a year before he left the H.N. White Company and established the F.A. Reynolds Company.

I don’t intend to turn the site into a regular “blog”, but will try to do a better job of documenting updates and changes to the site, as well as whatever new information or resources I come across.

I hope you enjoy the new site. I’ve been poking at this project a little bit at a time ever since the end of 2007 — it’s great to finally have it out in the light of day! But of course, if you run into any difficulties, please send me a note.

According to trademark documents, the first usage of the Contempora brand was in 1949. Dating SN 21000 to 1949 would have a few implications: first, the design changes noted on the Reynolds/Professional models around SN 22000 may have happened after the Emperor (1947) and Contempora (1949) models were developed, or as a result of them. Second, if SN 30000 still lines up with 1952-53 (see below), then this also means an accelerated production rate, though with the addition of the Emperor and Contempora model lines, this might be expected.

As such, a revised timeline might look like this:

1946/47 — Reynolds sold to Scherl & Roth. No immediate changes to instruments. Marketing materials indicate that Reynolds is a division of Scherl & Roth.

1947 — Emperor line introduced. If estimates are correct, the initial serial numbers should be slightly under 20000. However, the lowest observed number is just under 25000.

1949 — Contempora line introduced. Serial number 21000.

1949/50 — Design changes to Reynolds cornets and trumpets (valve caps) and trombones (major redesign) — SN 22000. It is now assumed that these design changes have been previously introduced on the Emperor and Contempora lines.

1952/53 — Instruments marked “Made by Roth-Reynolds” around SN 30000.

Another implication is that the other Reynolds instruments may have switched from Reynolds to Contempora models later than 1949. For example, several low brass instruments still bear the FA Reynolds engraving with serial numbers in the mid 20000′s, or c.1951.

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.

The horn’s serial number of 250761 dates its production to 1970, shortly before CMI sold Reynolds’ manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas to Conn and consolidated all Reynolds and Olds operations at the latter’s plant in Fullerton, California. Hence the reference to an “Olds French Horn” in the letter, even though the engravings clearly show a Reynolds Contempora model.