1907 Holton "New Proportion" Cornet

Frank Holton, a former Sousa Band trombonist, founded Frank Holton and Company in Chicago in 1898. 

This second generation of Holton cornets belongs to the pre–Jazz Age, yet its popularity ensured continued circulation well into the 1910s and 1920s. Early jazz musicians often played whatever instruments were available, leading to indirect exposure long after these models left production.

As shown by the next instrument in this collection, the New Proportion design also inspired imported copies, a common practice before World War I.