Thomas bringhurst
The drum maker, Thomas Bringhurst, was from a very prominent Old Germantown Pennsylvania family. He was born on June 21, 1775 and died August 8, 1849. From 1775 until the time of his death in 1795, the property in Germantown where he made drums, was owned by his father John Bringhurst, who was one of the wealthiest citizens in Germantown. He had an extensive reputation as a carriage builder and was particularly noted for his “Germantown waggons.” In 1809, the place belonged to Thomas Bringhurst, who was engaged in the manufacture of not only drums, but squares, saws, and coaches.
History of the Bringhurst Family by Leach, Josiah Granville
Thomas Bringhurst drums
Earlier labels by Bringhurst were simply hand-written in ink. "DRUMS MADE SOLD AND REPAIRED BY THOMAS BRINGHURST."
Printed labels seem to have been more common on Bringhurst drums made in the 1830s and 40s. Most contain an image of an eagle and soldier.
The tack design seems to be consistently three groupings of small circles, two of which contain a tack in the center, with one larger circle around the vent.
Slightly different printed label, but still containing an eagle and soldier.
Thomas Bringhurst labeled bass drum measuring 25" Diameter by 27" Wide. Property of the 1st Brigade Band.
Another Bringhurst labeled drum from the Chalmette Battlefield Visitor Center.
This drum measures 16" diameter by 15" tall. Counter hoops are 1 1/2" tall. The tack design is a common pattern seen on Bringhurst drums, however, this particular example is missing some along the bottom portion where the drum has been cut down slightly.
"DRUMS, FIFES,/ REGIMENTAL COLORS,/ AND/ TAMBOURINES,/ MADE AND REPAIRED/ BY THOMAS BRINGHURST,/ GERMANTOWN, PHILA. CO. PA." According to the American Military Goods Dealers and Makers by Bazelon and McGuinn, Bringhurst had army contracts in 1834, 1841, 1842, and 1843. I have also discovered a contract on March 2, 1838 for "50 drums complete and 50 pairs sticks."
No evidence of a strainer exists on this drum. The strands of gut simply exit between the flesh hoop and counter hoop allowing the player to physically tighten the guts by pulling on them.
A very nice example of a ca.1830-1840s painted drum. This particular eagle, and slight variations of it, are commonly seen on drums made in eastern Pennsylvania. The eagle, with outstretched wings, is perched on an American shield clutching a bundle of arrows in its dexter talon, while grasping the top of the shield with the other. Six rays of sun break through the clouds above the eagle's head.
The tack design matches other drums made by Bringhurst consisting of an iron nailed seam, two parallel lines of brass tacks, and circular patterns of tacks in between.
The label of this drum is a work of art as well. Containing many interesting elements such as an elaborate border, two soldiers, and an eagle. A fantastic piece unto itself.
The drum to the right was sold by Hindman Auction House in November of 2021 for $27,500, which in my opinion, is an absolutely absurd price. The hoops have been repainted, new rope was added, and the ears are certainly not original to the drum, most likely modern replacements. The shell also appears to have been revarnished at some point as well.
The tack design is certainly the same as patterns seen on Bringhurst drums, with the addition of a brass grommet in the vent hole. The strainer is a later addition as well.
Most interesting to me is the label, which clearly reads, "C.M ZIMMERMANN'S/ PATENT DRUM/ MANUFACTORY,". This label has been clearly pasted over another hand-written label seen sticking out beneath. I am of the opinion that this drum was actually made by Bringhurst, acquired by Zimmermann, and resold in his shop.
This bass drum resides in the Gettysburg Military Park Collections. It is 24.5" in diameter by 24 3/8" tall. According to the park's description, it was " reportedly carried in the procession to the Soldier's National Cemetery on November 19, 1863, at which President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. Possibly by Birgfield's Brigade Band of Philadelphia or the Marine Corps Band from Washington
The inside of the shell shows repairs made to reinforce sections where a crack has formed. I have examined various period methods of strengthening a crack in a shell. The most non-invasive being an application of glue and some sort of fabric placed over the crack. This one, however, necessitates holes being drilled in the shell to secure pieces of wood perpendicular to the crack. Furthermore, th
A very interesting component of this drum is not only the drum maker's label inside the shell, but that of the artist. A partial reading of the label shows, "Wm. F. MINNICK,/ Sign & Ornamental Painter/ No. / Baltimore, Md". I have seen artists occasionally sign their work on the outside painting of a period drum, but this is the only example, I am aware of, where the painter attached a label insi
Here we have another fine example of a full-sized Thomas Bringhurst drum. Clearly the rope has been replaced along the way with clothesline, which was very common for many years.
The label is in wonderful shape and lists other items sold such as, "FIFES, Regimental Colours, AND TAMBOURINES,"
The next drum carries this label, similar to the above one above, with slight differences in fonts and the soldier. The border looks to be the same, and the interesting diagonal cuts to the edges appear on both.
16 1/2" Diameter by 16" Tall
The tack design differs on this drum from other drums identified to this maker. The large oval with three vertical sections of circular tacks is often seen on drums bearing a Horstmann label.
The red painted counter hoops are drilled for ten holes and have rounded tops allowing the rope to pass over with less resistance.
The leather braces may very well be original to the drum, as they look quite old. They also share a similar profile to other braces on existent Bringhurst labeled drums.
This Thomas Bringhurst labeled drum was previously held in the collection of J. Craig Nanos. The image to the right shows the pre-restoration condition. The eagle motif is stunning exhibiting all the characteristics of federal period eagles in the early to mid 19th century.
After the addition of rope, heads, flesh hoops, and leather braces, the full beauty of the instrument can be seen. Only slight paint loss is evident, which is remarkable for its age and potential use.
The upper counter hoop may be a replacement, as it does not match the bottom in terms of color or wear.
This side view allows us to partially see the tack design which consists of two vertical rows of tacks, and a row of concentric circles. This being almost standard on Bringhurst manufactured drums.