This horn by Peter Emanuel Schmidt, Copenhagen, Denmark is is marked with the crown of the monarch (photo top right).  "1 I B" (1. Infanteri Batalion) identifies the indicates the military unit and 1859 is the year of manufacture. It is a single horn pitched in G and switch to F. The key change is achieved by a fourth slide located above the first valve and controlled by a rotary tap (see detail photo of the valve section, below). The valve section itself was fabricated by Daniel Meinl  who flourished in Vienna, Austria from 1849 until after 1873 (see his maker's inscription on the valve plate, bottom right). Note also the decorative bracing and pinky hook in the photos at right.

Another example of the P.E Schmidt horn is shown above. It is owned by Torben Verner Jensen and is slightly different from the subject horn in this collection. Its main tuning slide has an additional loop and is marked "F" (photo upper right). It is at a different angle from the subject horn. Also, the change tap is marked "G" and "F"  (photo lower, right) where the tap on the subject horn has no markings and lacks the lever for turning,  With this alternate "F" crook installed, however, Mr. Jensen's horn is actually pitched a whole tone lower, in either F or Es depending on the setting of the tap.This is the same configuration as seen in the photo of Christian Marius Dyring, at the bottom of this page.

Peter Emanuel Schmidt (1828 - 1899) was born on April 21, 1828 in Germany. He apprenticed in Copenhagen, Denmark with Jacob Christian Fasting (1814-1884).¹ In 1849 he presented a piston cornet at the Industrial Association Exhibition. He was awarded the Dannebrog Medal in 1851 (see below). He became a full partner to J.C. Fasting by 1852 and a trombone was purchased by the Royal Danish Orchestra that year marked Fasting & Schmidt. It appears that Schmidt left the firm in 1855 and was replaced in that year by Josef Karl Gottfried.²  P. E. Schmidt continued independently until 1872, at which time he was succeeded by his son, J. Vilhelm Schmidt.  Peter Emanuel Schmidt married Bertha Schmitz, b. January 16, 1837.  He died on March 20, 1899.

Below is an undated P. Schmidt price list [‘Priis-Courant’], (c. 1860-70), with hand-written addition describing a new invention allowing him to apply a new method of changing of pitch [‘Vexel-Omstemning’] instead of crooks. This is a reference to the pitch changing tap incorporated into this horn. The monatary units are rigsbankdaler (Rbdr). They only valved Waldhorn listed has three valves and apparently includeds crooks for F, E, and E♭ with no mention of the rotary pitch-change tap.

Below left, Dannebrog Grand Cross breast star badge as it appeared in 1850 with the inscription "God and King." When it was  established in 1671 only noble and princely persons were eligible for the Order of Dannebrog. After 1730 it was extended to include high officers of who were not of the noble classes.  In 1808  King Frederik VI, inspired by the French Legion d'Honneur added several degrees and further extended the eligibility beyond the military and civil service. The king stressed that not only military prowess, but also "progress in science and arts, new and successful systems in the country's agriculture, industry, and trade" and general "sacrifices for the king and patriotic citizenship" should be honored.  At  right,  a copy of the Dannebrog Men's Medal.  The medal was an additional award to those who had already received the order Order of Dannebrog.  It also functioned as an independent award, typically given to officers of lower rank, teachers, railway employees, aldermen, postmasters, firemen, etc

Hans Christian Lumbye (1810–1874) was a Danish composer of waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and galops, among other things. From 1843 to 1872, he served as the music director and in-house composer for Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen. Danish horn players in the 1840s included, Niels Henrik Egense (*1826-†1888) who was also a musician in the Royal Guard (1841-47)  P. Jensen, and C. Gyldenspietz, a member of the Regimental Band.  In 1862 Fritz Theodor Braunstein (right) was one of the horn players in Lumbye's Orchestra and was also a musician in the Royal Guard (1866 -)

In the 1870s Vald. Neumann toured with Carl Christian Møller (*1823-†1893) and six other Danish musicians to Sweden.  A few years later he returned to perform horn concertos in Upsala. Møller was a Music director for Kongens Livjægerkorps from 1885-88 (see below).

Another accomplished Danish horn player was  Peter Rasmussen (1838-1913). He was at first a military musician but became a well-known personality in contemporary Copenhagen musical life primarily as an organist, first at Holmen Church (from 1873) then at Garrison Church (from 1883). He was born 15th March 1838 in Hørsholm and was a  student of J.P. Karstensen and Prof. Gebauer.  On September 20, 1872 he married Emma Mathilde Amalie Paustian, born 30 August 1848 in Copenhagen.  Mr. Rasmussen wrote a number of pieces for organ and also taught music theory at various music schools in the city, including the Copenhagen Conservatory. Very few of his compositions were published, however. The best-known is the Quintet for Winds dated March 26, 1896, apparently the first written by a Dane. He also wrote a series of "Instructive Duets for Two Horns" (ca. 1903), ), published by Wilhelm Hansen and 5 etudes (not published) for horn (1896), for his son the hornplayer kgl.  kapelmusikus  Alfred (Musse) Niels Rasmussen (*1878- †1942). He has also composed a quartet for 4 horns in 1905 (not published).
Horn player Alfred Rasmussen  also composed  “Stimmung & Nocturne” op. 11 for horn & piano,  published by Wilhelm Hansen, 8 studies for horn & piano (not published), Resignation for horn & piano (not published

Carl Siegfried Valdemar Wivel (1836-1873) was musician in the Royal Guard (1856 -) and kapelmusikus horn player from 1864 to 1873. He was a great-grandfather to pianist Per Wivel (1920 - ) and poet-writer-publisher Ole Wivel (1921-2004), author of his memoir, Romance for valdhorn og andre erindringsmotiver.