Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice U.S. WWI Issue Military Bugle, complete with mouthpiece that may be a later addition. The bugle is made completely of brass, and is most likely in Eb, the usual key that bugles of the time were pitched in. The bell shows a brazing seam around the flare spout, which is easier to see on the inside of the bell. It still has the complete maker marking and date:

WURLITZER
CHICAGO DEPOT
SPEC. 1132
8-28-17

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments from Germany for resale in the United States. Wurlitzer enjoyed initial success, largely due to defense contracts to provide musical instruments to the U.S. military. In 1880, the company began manufacturing pianos and eventually relocated to North Tonawanda, New York. It quickly expanded to make band organs, orchestrions, player pianos and pipe or theatre organs popular in theatres during the days of silent movies.

The bugle definitely does have a fair amount of dents and bending, as expected from one that saw long service. The mouthpiece receiver is slightly bent inwards, and the bell is somewhat dented in.

A great piece of WWI militaria, ready to display!

The word bugle in the United States is often used as a generic term for many types of horns including the instruments used by the armed services, drum and bugle corps and by various other organizations such as the Boy Scouts. Nevertheless, bugles have always been specified correctly by the armed services and the suppliers and manufacturers of these instruments as either bugles (a conical bore natural horn) or as a field trumpet (a cylindrical bore natural horn over 2/3rds of its length).