Besson

The legacy of Besson represents one of the most innovative yet turbulent chapters in the history of brass manufacturing. The company was founded in Paris in 1837 by Gustave Auguste Besson, who instantly revolutionized the industry with his groundbreaking new cornet designs. Early instruments produced under his direct Parisian tenure are distinguished by a 'GB' monogram engraved upon the bell. Following a bitter, long-running patent dispute with rival inventor Adolphe Sax, Gustave made the strategic decision to relocate his operations to London in 1858.

Upon his departure, his wife Florentine Besson (née Ridoux) assumed sole control of the original Paris facility. In a fascinating linguistic twist that serves as an invaluable tool for modern collectors, the standard patent stamping 'Breveté' was altered to the feminine form 'Brevetée' to explicitly denote female ownership and management. Instruments from her Parisian era are further identified by an 'FR' monogram. Meanwhile, Gustave's concurrent British production line in London continued to utilize 'GB' or 'G.A. Besson' stamps, until his death in 1874 when Florentine took over the London branch as well, together with her daughters Cécile and Marthe.

Following Florentine’s passing in 1877, official leadership passed to the two sisters as equal business partners, with Cécile managing the Paris headquarters and Marthe overseeing the London branch. This successful partnership was tragically disrupted when Marthe married Adolphe Fontaine in 1880. Fontaine immediately seized control of the French operation, renaming it Fontaine-Besson and reverting the patent stamps back to the masculine 'Breveté'. His tyrannical and abusive behavior not only sidelined Cécile in Paris but also fractured the family, ultimately forcing Marthe to flee to London in 1888 to escape her husband and run the British branch independently.

Adolphe’s volatile behavior was equally despised by his workforce; in 1894, ninety employees at the Paris factory launched a major strike in direct protest of his conduct. In 1895, a bitter corporate fallout ensued when Adolphe obtained a warrant for Marthe's arrest, accusing her of embezzling £7,000 after she sold off the independent London branch of the company and fled to Seville, Spain, with their daughter. Marthe was fully acquitted of all charges in 1896, subsequently relocating to Texas, USA. The historic liquidation of the British assets during this crisis birthed the legendary English corporate entity Besson & Co.

Both Marthe and Adolphe passed away in 1908, leaving the French branch, Besson Paris, in the hands of their daughter, Mathilde. In 1932, the French company was acquired by the Strasser Marigaux & Lemaire (SML) syndicate. Disaster struck in 1948 when a devastating fire completely leveled the Paris factory, permanently halting domestic production of the historic 'F. Besson' instruments. Concurrently, the English wing of the Besson brand was purchased by British manufacturing giant Boosey & Hawkes. Following Mathilde's death in 1957, French competitor Couesnon bought out the rights to the F. Besson name and attempted a manufacturing revival. However, a tragic twist of fate repeated itself in 1969 when another catastrophic fire razed the Couesnon production plant, once again terminating the production of French Besson horns.

In 1981, Boosey & Hawkes fully consolidated the Besson corporate identity and hired American master builder Zig Kanstul to fabricate high-end modern replicas of the historic pre-war F. Besson models. Ultimately, the global brand was acquired by the Buffet Crampon Group, which relocated all Besson production facilities to the historic German instrument-making hub of Markneukirchen in 2006. Under the Buffet Crampon banner, the iconic Besson name continues to endure as a premier standard for brass excellence today.