The sousaphone was developed at the request of bandleader John Philip Sousa, who wanted an instrument with the range of a tuba but in a format that could be easily carried and heard with a marching band. In 1893, J.W. Pepper built the first sousaphone with an upright bell that earned the instrument the nickname “rain-catcher.” In the early 20th century, C.G. Conn introduced a sousaphone with a bell pointing forward; this model was adopted in 1908 by the U.S. Marine Band and soon became a standard instrument in marching bands across the country. This model, from c.1918, preserves the upright “rain-catcher” bell style.
