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An Upbeat Avocation

Batons from the Gene Young Collection

Gene Young (August 23, 1938-June 19, 2018) was a consummate musician; a conductor, composer, pedagogue, and trumpeter. Maestro Young studied trumpet and composition at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He then went to Salzburg, Austria for further study at the conservatory, University Mozarteum. After his traditional musical education, Young held several trumpet chair positions with symphony orchestras, ensembles and bands, including: The New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, The Saint Louis Sinfonietta, The American Shakespeare Theatre Orchestra, The United States Military Academy Band at West Point, and led the Pro Arte Orchestra in Oberlin, Ohio. During his tenure at West Point, Maestro Young studied with William Vacchiano (1912-2005) the long tenured principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic. Following Maestro Young's military service at West Point, he was appointed professor of trumpet at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Maestro Young left Oberlin to pursue a conducting career, first forming the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble at the University of Wisconsin, which still exists today. In 1984, he became Professor of Conducting at the Peabody Institute of Music at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and founded The Peabody Camerata in 1987. The Camerata became an internationally recognized ensemble specializing in the works of 20th-century composers. From 1988 to 1997, Maestro Young led the famed Goldman Memorial Band. The Goldman Band was one of the great American professional touring concert bands founded in 1911 and ran through various iterations until it folded in 2005. At one time it was a true competitor of John Philip Sousa's Band and lasted decades longer.

Maestro Young was also a composer and was commissioned by Peabody Conservatory for works for its various ensembles. His works have been recorded on several labels including CRI, Arista, Orion, and Golden Crest.

Black and white photograph of a man with beard and mustache holding up four long ivory batons with metal tips

Gene Young, conductor, composer, and collector of batons

(Photographer unknown)

“Gene was way beyond comparison when it came to his talents as a conductor. His knowledge of repertoire was astounding, not only of standard orchestral literature, but particularly 20th- and 21st-century composers.”

Charlie Schlueter, friend of Gene Young and retired principal trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Gene Young began collecting batons in the 1980s, around the time he turned to conducting. By the time of his death in 2018, he had amassed a collection of more than 500. In November 2021, the collection was divided between the Maestro’s three sons. The BSO purchased two batons from Dorian Young, and in December 2021, Dorian and his wife Kristina Young donated a large portion of their share (253 batons in total) to the BSO.

Gene Young's baton collection dates to the early 19th century and is diverse in that it encompasses both practical work-a-day batons used by conductors in performance as well as heavy trophy pieces (presentation batons) given to conductors famous (and not famous), for their work with various organizations. His batons originated from around the world – particularly the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Batons presented to BSO Music Directors or Guest Conductors

A reddish brown baton with flame engraved metal tips and band inscribed with Serge Alexandrovich Koussevitzky in Cyrillic

Serge Alexandrovich Koussevitzky presentation conductor’s baton, made by Bolin (Stockholm, Sweden), 1917

Lathe turned maple shaft with cast gold plated sterling silver tip and handle and a cast central band with the conductor’s name (in Cyrillic) which is partly gilded. This arte nouveau piece bears a flame design on each cap and matching motif on the name plate band. It is likely that the baton was presented to Koussevitzky, the legendary double bass virtuoso and later music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, upon his appointment to the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Petrograd after the Russian Revolution.

Image of a plain thin wooden baton with a tag affixed with William Steinberg typed on it

William Steinberg conducting baton dating from his tenure as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, 1945-1953

An unadorned lathe turned basswood shaft with notepaper glued around the center with an inscription reading: William Steinberg/Musical Director Buffalo/Philharmonic Orchestra-Buffalo. Steinberg served as the BSO’s Music Director from 1969-1972.

Image of thin plain wooden baton with a knob handle and autograph of Sir Thomas Beecham near handle

Sir Thomas Beecham autographed lathe turned alder shaft conductor baton, undated

Asian made batons

Image of ivory baton with intricate carving of a female sitarist on the handle

Carved ivory female sitarist baton from India (or nearby country)

Lathe turned single piece elephant ivory shaft baton with a hand carved female sitarist in draped clothing. Brass plaque is not engraved.

Image of small white ornately carved staff

Japanese chrysanthemum and vine carved bone staff of office

This is a staff of office rather than a conductor’s baton and would have been made for a courtier, likely mid-19th century.

Image of long curved white baton with silver band and ornately carved monkeys on the handle

Japanese elephant tusk ivory Florence N. Hughes presentation conducting baton, 1907

The baton employs scrimshaw and netsuke type carvings to depict Japanese snow monkeys and a snail on the shaft and handle. The inscription reads: Florence N. Hughes/Nagasaki/Oct. 30, 1907.

European made batons

Image of baton with knobbed handle and alternating light and dark segments, like stripes

Bovine horn and bone bandmaster’s baton or swagger stick, late 19th century, likely British

Lathe turned alternative bovine horn and bone shaft with a bovine bone handle. The pieces are centered on a dowel of unknown material. A swagger stick is a short cane carried by a military officer.

Darwen Salvation Army Band sterling silver and ivory baton, 1900, unknown London silversmith

The town of Darwen, in Lancashire, boasts one of Great Britain’s longest serving bands still operational today. The inscription reads: DARWEN/NO.1/S.A. Band. The British Salvation Army band tradition dates to 1879.

Image of a long white baton with silver tip and cap with scrolled inscription and designs

Angus Lang “Civil War” novelty scrimshaw conductor baton, ca. 1900, made by Ebenezer Newman, London, England

Elephant tusk baton with sterling silver cap, tip, and central wrap. Carved scrimshaw inscription reads: Presented to Angus Lang/Bandmaster/New York Highlanders/Nemo Me Impuni Lacessit (No one attacks me with impunity)/Fort Donelson/Pea Ridge/Island No. 10/Richard/Fair Oaks/Antietam Creek/Chickamauga/Missionary Ridge.

Image of a black baton with white handle and metal tip, cap and curved band, and a braided rope tied near the handle

German chorus master ivory, wood and rope baton, ca. 1890s

Lathe turned ebonized hardwood with an ivory handle and a German silver handle cap, center band, tip, and engraved wrapped band. Inscription reads: Jos. Collet/Gew./vom/Kirchen-Chor.

Image of black baton with white inscribed inset on handle and white band and tip

Speicher-Trogen Switzerland Catholic Church chorus master baton, ca. 1883

Lathe turned ebonized hardwood shaft with a scrimshaw and engraved lathe turned elephant ivory handle inset, central band, and tip. A small rural town in Northeast Switzerland, Speicher-Trogen could not support a Catholic parish until 1883 to care for the 200 Catholics within the town. Inscription reads: Widmang vom/Kath. Kirchen Chor/Speicher-Trogen.

Image of white baton with ring carvings (like table leg) and ornate metal tip, band and handle

Ring turned furniture leg ivory baton, pre-1920

Designed like a furniture chair or table leg, the design is referred to as “ring turned.” Likely made in France.

Image of symmetrical black baton with silver engraved band and tips with small white finial on either end

Léon Morel presentation baton with engraved inscription, late 19th century

Ebonized hardwood of French design with sterling silver hardware and two tiny ivory finials at each end. Inscription reads: Léon Morel/Chef de Musique/A La Tour du Pin. La Tour du Pin is a small town in the Southeast region of France. Morel was most likely the local town music director responsible for leading the town orchestra and/or band.

American made batons (or recipients)

Image of baton with scrolling cursive inscription on a white handle with black wooden shaft and bronze colored tip

Bessie Cleveland presentation conductor baton, 1900

Inscription reads: Presented to Bessie Cleveland/Encamp. No. 91/Union Veteran Legion/June 3, 1900. Cleveland graduated from the Hampton Institute (now known as Hampton University), a historically Black college in Hampton, VA in 1892. She served as a singing instructor at the Union Veteran Legion 91, contained in the National Soldiers Home in Hampton, VA, where she presumably led a chorus made up of Black Civil War veterans.

Image of a baton with a square shaped handle with geometric inlaid designs

American Arts and Crafts marquetry baton

Squared hardwood baton with elephant ivory inlaid handle, tip, and band, and cherry inlays. The baton would have been made individually by a folk-art craftsman.

Image of black baton with ornately carved white handle with silver knob and white tip

Watrous beaded ivory and sterling silver baton with a unique hand carved beaded design on the ivory handle, pre-1918

Lathe turned ebonized hardwood shaft with a lathe turned and carved whale tooth handle and tip. There is a sterling silver cap and band at the ivory tip. Watrous Manufacturing Company (part of the International Silver Consortium of Manufacturers founded in 1898) was a New England silversmith with workrooms located in East Hampton, CT.

An image of a black baton with a white handle and tip decorated with painted with a black cross design against the white and white dots against the black

Montezuma Band of Gallup, New Mexico baton, before 1920

The elephant ivory handle and top portion of the base feature abalone mother of pearl inlay in the form of little crosses and dots. This kind of baton was made in France, with the crosses added for religious chorus masters. The baton was presented to former military bandmaster Captain Charles Del Chandler.

Miscellany

Image of a black wand with white tips, used for magic performances rather than conducting

Short magic wand, pre-1920

Lathe turned ebonized hardwood with a hollowed shaft with a lathe turned elephant ivory handle cap and circular tip. This baton would have been used by a magician rather than a conductor. The hollowed area could be stuffed with small items like a silk scarf or handkerchief.

A reddish brown baton with white handle carved to resemble a tree trunk with knots

American carved tree trunk baton

Lathe turned ebonized hardwood shaft with a hand carved bovine bone handle in the form of a limbless tree trunk. There is a sterling silver handle cap, central band, and tip.

Image of black baton with a lathe carved tip with a diamond attached

Diamond tipped baton with sterling silver band and elephant tusk ivory tip and cap, c. 1880s

This baton is not inscribed with any presentation message, so it could possibly be a working baton.