Selmer (UK)

Henri Selmer Paris, known until 1926 simply as Selmer Paris, was founded by Henri Selmer in Mantes-la-Ville, near Paris, France in 1885. It remains a reputed manufacturer of woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones, clarinets, and trumpets. Selmer holds numerous honours, including winning the Bronze Medal at the Paris Exhibition in 1900 and the Gold Medal at the International Saint Louis Fair in 1904. The factory in Mante-la-Villes was established in 1919 and was directed by Selmer’s sons-in-law, Maurice and Henri Lefèvre. Selmer’s first saxophone emerged in 1922, with the first metal clarinet following in 1927. In 1932, Selmer began manufacturing guitars in partnership with the luthier Mario Maccaferri. A satellite branch of Selmer was established in London, England in 1928 under the leadership of brothers Ben and Lew Davis. By 1935, they were producing public assembly and sound reinforcement systems and by the 1950s, they had gained licensing rights to manufacture Lowrey organs and Leslie speakers within the United Kingdom. Selmer was eventually subsumed under the Gibson Guitar company.