Back in the day they were called bulb horns and were the standard horn on pre-war cars. Somewhere along the line they began to be called squeeze horns. This begs the question… Who was the first clown to use a squeeze horn (was it Harpo?) because nowadays they’re also referred to as clown horns.Bonham’s auction house! Beautiful ‘bulb horns’ from the early 1900s.
A brass bodied double-twist bulb horn. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26120/lot/49/ A brass three-trumpet “Le Testophone” bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26120/lot/47/ A veteran eight-trumpet bulb horn, French, circa 1910 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26641/lot/17/ A ‘Le Testaphone’ six trumpet bulb horn by Cicca, French, patented 1908 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25446/lot/96/ A four trumpet bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25446/lot/98/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25446/lot/98/ A coiled body horn by Rubres, French https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24733/lot/235/
A fine eight-trumpet “Le Testophone” bulb horn by Cicca, French, circa 1909 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24879/lot/105/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24879/lot/105/ A fine brass four-trumpet “Le Testophone” bulb horn, French, circa 1909 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24879/lot/106/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24879/lot/106/ A wide trumpet running board mounted horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24733/lot/237/ A replica Boa Constrictor snake’s head horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24733/lot/241/ A coiled body horn by Nonpariel, French https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24733/lot/244/ A rare combination horn and siren by Stenor Sirene, Paris https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24733/lot/247/ Hand-crank Klaxon, want one! An Edwardian hand-cranked klaxon trumpet horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24123/lot/102/ A rare ‘Central Python’ brass bulb horn, French https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24123/lot/104/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24123/lot/104/ A Lucas No 38 King of the Road bulb horn with mirror https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24123/lot/105/ Cicca Horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24308/lot/179/ A rare Lucas ‘King of the Road’ No.40 single-twist bulb horn, circa 1903 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23597/lot/42/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23597/lot/45/ An ‘Etienne Le Testaphone’ four-trumpet bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23597/lot/45/ A Desmo double twist bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23597/lot/47/ A Boa Constrictor bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23597/lot/48/ Hand operated Klaxon https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23597/lot/50/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23871/lot/158/ A Le Testaphone seven trumpet bulb horn, French, circa 1910 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23871/lot/158/ A fine double turn brass bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23594/lot/131/ A Boa Constrictor bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/10579/lot/230/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/10579/lot/230/ A Lucas double-twist bulb-horn Japanned Black https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15345/lot/251/ A Rotax ‘Clarion’ double-twist bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15345/lot/271/ An Autovox horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16247/lot/88/ A Le Serpentin bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16536/lot/172/ An Escargot type bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16536/lot/173/ A Perfecta double twist bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16536/lot/174/ A fine and rare miniature snake’s head bulb horn by C & C Paris, circa 1902 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/17658/lot/105/ A rare British Lion horn ‘trumpet’, British, circa 1905 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20146/lot/124/ Rare trompe automobile à seize tons, Française, circa 1910 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21768/lot/87/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21768/lot/87/ A veteran Autovox brass double-twist horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21735/lot/61/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22201/lot/615/ An ‘Schnecke’ type horn by Haeckel https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18218/lot/142/ A L’Autovox horn, French, patented 1908 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18218/lot/184/ A four-tone bulb horn by Sigval https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18218/lot/187/ A fine ‘Le Testaphone’ four trumpet bulb horn by Cicca, French, patented 1908-09 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18218/lot/194/ A L’Autovox horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19284/lot/84/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19284/lot/84/ A large double twist bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22201/lot/617/ A Goliath bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22201/lot/706/ An early four-note ‘Tenor’ 6 Volt electric brass trumpet horn, by Cicca, French https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21907/lot/7/ A dual, air and electric, brass, Klaxon horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22530/lot/88/ A double twist bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16536/lot/176/ A Goliath bulb horn https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22201/lot/706/ https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22201/lot/706/ A brass three-trumpet “Le Testophone” bulb horn, French https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26120/lot/47/ A ‘Le Testaphone’ six trumpet bulb horn by Cicca, French, patented 1908 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25446/lot/96/ A large Boa Constrictor trumpet horn, British https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23597/lot/44/
I have two “Le Testophone” (made by Cicca) 4-horn, bulb horns in for repairs at the moment. Interesting mechanism for the note changes. I don’t suppose you have any further info on these particular horns? I saw an old Bonhams auction that included an original instruction sheet/manual, I wish there was a copy!
Would be fascinating to make one from scratch but I’m sure the market just isn’t there!
Best, From the UK.
Hi Dan, Sorry just seeing this now. Yes it’s hard to believe they had attained such a high level of craftmanship and then more or less disappeared. I’m guessing that some of the expertise ended up in musical instruments. I will keep an eye out for the manual. Best, John
Wow.Seems like someone would make replicas of hand cranked aoogha klaxons,and some 4-5 trumpet squeezers.Wow.R.
They are beautiful. I have looked into it and occasionally do a deep dive into YouTube to see if anyone’s come up with something. Eventually I was able to get my hands on one of these. It’s a real piece of work. Very well made. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BELGn5qlP20
I knew about this type of horn but I didn’t know there are so many different types. It’s amazing!
Right?! Love them.