When California State University, Los Angeles stopped maintaining his site, and with the data I had collected, I attempted to recreate the dating work he had done using his own pioneering work, the addition of greatly expanded instrument data (including saxophones), patent research, new information that has come to light, and information gleaned from Horn-u-copia. Swain, unfortunately, passed away in 2003 from a battle with cancer. My primary source for the much of the initial information contained here was Dr. If you note any discrepancies, or have additional information concerning this company, please contact us here at Horn-u-copia. Following the list are the facts and assumptions which were used to it: Since the inception of this list with a few hundred horns, there is now an expanded information base of over 1,300 York instruments, starting with 'York & Sons' and continuing through several name changes until the Grand Rapids plant was closed in 1971. This is further compounded by the existence several companies that have used the name 'York' since then, including Boosey and Hawkes, the American company Brook Mays and the current manufacturer Schreiber & Keilwerth in Markneukirchen, Germany. Apparently, somewhere during the transfer of the company from Carl Fisher to Tolchin Instruments or the subsequent purchase by Martin Tolchin, the original records were lost, misplaced, or destroyed. Determining the date of a York instrument made in Grand Rapids, Michigan is rather problematic because no records are available.

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