Foote b-flat valve trombone

John Howard Foote, a Connecticut boy, began an instrument business in New York City in 1857, with various partners, including J. F. Stratton; in 1864 the firm was Stratton & Foote…importers & manuf of musical instruments. In 1868 Foote added a Chicago store.

An 1888 article says that “the NY store covers six floors and is the oldest and largest store in the country. They sell brass instruments, violins, flutes, cellos, guitars & banjos. They are the sole US supplier for Courtois and the sole maker for the “Challenge” and J. Howard Foote “Superior” brands of light piston band instruments”.

It seems that Foote was primarily (or exclusively) an importer and dealer, not a manufacturer. The above mentioned Antonie Courtois was one of the finest French manufacturers of the day; those instruments in Foote catalogues for whom a manufacturer can be identified are all by Courtois, but other sources seem possible.

The firm was formally incorporated as J. Howard Foote, Inc. in 1897, a year after John died, but instruments could have been stamped with that name a good deal earlier.  The firm was liquidated in 1904. (Thanks to Horn-u-Copia for much of the history.)