Noble and cooley
Toy Drums and Drums
In January of 1854, Silas Noble and James P. Cooley began making drums in the Noble farmhouse kitchen. Their drums were immediately a success. In a few weeks, they moved into a small building and after two years built their first factory.
In 1860, Noble & Cooley Co. made a drum of a rail split by Abraham Lincoln, which was used in political rallies in Massachusetts and Connecticut. This drum was presented to the 10th Mass. Regiment and finally found a resting place in the United States Patent Office.
The factory where the company made drums during the Civil War still stands today, and the equipment used such as steam boxes, bending machines, and wooden forms are still functional. This machinery allowed the company to grow and expand from producing 631 drums in 1854, to 100,000 a year by 1873.
16 ½” diameter by 12 ½” tall.
Drum used during the Civil War by Musician John Schaefer of the 8th Minnesota Infantry Regiment, Co. K. The drum was reportedly procured from the 6th Minnesota Regiment because the 8th had no drum. The red painted drum is marked "Star of the North, 6th Min. Vols." and has red, white, and blue rims.
Part of the Minnesota Historical Society's Collection.
At the Battle of Gettysburg, Jam B. Forrest, a 17-year-old musician in the 28th PA infantry, picked up a drum from the field. The drum remained in Forrest’s family until it was purchased by a collector of Civil War memorabilia.
When offered for sale, a community effort was made to return the drum to its place of manufacture.
15” diameter by 14” tall.
According to the 1st Brigade Band's website, this drum is made from tulip wood and has red painted oak hoops. Clearly, some restoration has been done such as new rope, leather braces, and skins.
Also, a muffler strip has been placed across the top head to eliminate ringing. Original drums never had any sort of muffling or dampeners.
Probably one of the most interesting labels to be used on drums, Noble and Cooley included vibrant colors.
25.5" diameter, 19.25" tall.
Maple shell drum with hand-painted spread-winged eagle perched on an American shield and clutching a ribbon with "E Pluribus Unum". The rims are painted with red, white and blue stripes.
In 2011, Noble and Cooley offered a reproduction of a drum they made during the Civil War. They used original equipment in their factory to produce the shell and hoops. The shell is made of tulip wood and the counter hoops were oak.
Granville Eagles
16 7/8” Diameter by 14 3/8” Tall
This drum is unlabeled, but answers the call to being manufactured in Massachusetts. The painted maple shell, tricolored counter hoops, and eagle motif point to the Noble and Cooley Company.
The eagle is perched on an American shield, holding a bundle of arrows in his right talons, and an olive branch in his left. A banner flies in the breeze with the motto, “E PLUR
This drum likewise shares commonalities with other Noble and Cooley manufactured drums. This particular example has undergone restoration with the addition of rope, leather braces, and possibly a snare side skin. The vibrance of the shell and eagle motif compared to the hoop paint gives pause to what other restoration has taken place.
16 1/2" Diameter by 14 1/2" Tall
Even though this drum is painted with the Pennsylvania state seal, it very. much fits into this category. The maker is unknown, but with a red painted shell, tricolored hoops, and even snare strainer, it could very well be made by Noble and Cooley.