The firm produced band instruments, including trumpets, cornets, fluegelhorns, trombones, and saxophones from 1908 through the 1960s.

John Henry (Johann Heinrich) Martin was born February 24, 1835, in Dresden, Germany.

In 1855 he emigrated to the United States and followed his trade, first in New York by establishing "The Martin Company" then during the later part of 1865 in Chicago.

The family lost everything and was reunited three days after the fire when they met on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Family sources indicate that the four brothers fought incessantly over the company, and in 1912 Francis Compton bought a major share and assumed the position as vice-president from 1912 to 1917.

From 1912 into the 1920s production expanded rapidly to include a full line of brasswinds and saxophones for the professional and amateur markets.

The trademark name "Martin Handcraft" acquired modifiers designating specific models such as "Master," "Troubador," "Imperial," "Committee," and "Standard," with "Standard" designating second-line instruments sold under Martin's name prior to 1942.

Some of the stencil instruments such as the postwar "Dick Stabile" and "Olds Super" saxophones were professional grade.

Leblanc was an early importer of Yanagisawa saxophones and sold some of those instruments as "The Martin" before marketing them under the producer's own name.

Leblanc used the "Committee" brand for an Elkhorn-produced trumpet although it was in fact based on a Holton design.

Committee model trumpets were discontinued in 1971, although the brand was nominally continued and applied to a different design.

The horn became widely adopted in jazz music because of its warm, rich sound and flexible intonation.

Other notable players include Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Chet Baker, Lee Morgan, Maynard Ferguson, Art Farmer, Wallace Roney, and Chris Botti.

This series, often referred to as "Committee I" today, has art-deco engraving depicting an urban skyline with searchlights sweeping the sky as an airplane flies through.

[4] In 1945 Martin introduced a new model that gained favor among R&B and rock & roll players for its dynamic sound properties.

Neither the Malerne or Yanagisawa instruments branded "The Martin" are related to the Committee III design that preceded them.