Richard P. Mein was born in 1823 in Boston, Massachusetts. He married Jane M'Creadie on November 4, 1843 in New York City. By 1860, Mein's family was living in Flushing and he is listed as a "Drum Maker" in the Census. He continued to make drums in New York for at least the next two decades.
To the right is the New York State Militia drum corps in 1861. Photo is available on the Library of Congress website.
17" diameter by 16 3/8" tall.
Mein's eagle motif has many unique characteristics that set it apart from other makers. The shape of the rays of sun exiting the clouds, the face and neck of the eagle, the style of ribbon, and the wings all help to identify a region of manufacture.
The overlap of the steam bent shell consists of a concentric circle of brass tacks with arrows above and below, all within a large oval design. The leather braces are rectangular in shape and tied with vellum lace.
Interior paper manufacturer's label reads: "Rich'd Mein, / Fordham, / Westchester Co. / N.Y."
14" diameter by 12" tall.
A mystery drum containing no label, but the eagle design has many similar characteristics to the one above. I do not think this is a modern reproduction, as the patina of the painted motif and counter hoops are consistent with drums from the 1800s.
The shell is of ply construction and contains many cracks as seen in the photographs. Leather braces are replacements, but the rope appears to be quite old. No gut snares remain, but four tiny holes drilled into the hoop indicate a possible location of where they once were.
Due to its smaller size, only eight holes have been drilled in the counter hoops for the rope to pass through. Skins may have been replaced as some point, as they do not match the weathered appearance of the rest of the instrument.
Very rare artillery drum measuring 17" diameter by 16 1/2" tall. Some restoration has been done such as new rope, leather braces, and gut. The hoops may also be replacements, but it is difficult to tell. The eagle motif is not one usually seen on drums from the Philadelphia area. The red painted field was unique to the artillery, as blue was used for infantry. Other interesting features of the
The brass tack design is common among many makers. Through the vent hole can be seen the label that states, "Horstmann, Brothers & Co. / Military Furnishers, / Fifth and Cherry Streets / Philadelphia."
Interestingly enough, part of the Horstmann label has been torn exposing a Richard Mein label beneath. Not an uncommon occurrence for the time period. This would also explain why the eagle motif matches the ones above.
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