Robb Stewart of Arcadia California is a modern day craftsman  who not only restores historic brass musical instruments,  and when authenic examples are scarce on the ground, he also builds exacting relicas from scratch! This beauiful  Eb circular cornet features top action rotary valves and plays sweetly - attesting to the skills of the maker. Eb Cornets were usually played by a highly skiled solo cornetist in a brass band. 

Circular cornets were just one of the instrument configurations popular in brass bands of the mid-1900s.  Bands of this period were also equipped with "Over-The-Sholder" horns,  bell-up horns and/or helicon configurations. The cornets were usually in the modern bell-forward configuration, or over-the shoulder models.

Robb made this cornet for the Heartlland Brass Band in  Åpril 1999. It was ultimately owned by the 10th Illinois Cavalry Band who made a beautiful fitted wood case for the horn.