He's one of the greatest inventors of our instrument ! And I'm proud because it was a little French ! He invented and filed some patents, including one in 1883 for heads separate tension, and in 1897 for the internal muffler ... Emile BOULANGER was born in France in 1844 and emigrated with his parents in the USA in 1854, in Missouri…
The brand:
Emile BOULANGER created DUPLEX Mfg Co in 1883 in St Louis, Missouri. He was a true pioneer in drum design and a great inventor who marked the history of our instrument. Even if Emile Boulanger died in 1910, DUPLEX Mfg Co. developed before the war with iconic instruments, like the "After Beat" or the "Spirit of St Louis" snare drum and the Duplex brand continued to produce instruments after WWII
The snare drum:
Difficult to date precisely, but this model appears in a 1885 catalog, and a patent of 1887 represents a perforated snare drum... This model must date from the late XIXth, circa 1897... Nickel-plated metal drum shell, 15'' x 5,5'' for dimensions, with 12 skeleton rods (as Boulanger called them... His patent which revolutionized drum history), with very fine tension rods in 5/16 ... This snare drum was made for street bands…
This ultra rare snare is more than 110 years old, but after restoration it remains a pure jewel !!
A bientôt,
Emmanuel
olDrums Vintage & Custom
http://www.oldrums.fr/