When John Phillip Sousa designed the Sousaphone, the bell pointed upward to direct the sound above the ensemble rather than in the uni-directional format of the Helicon. In actual usage, players began to prefer the more conical design of the Sousaphone, but with the bell pointed toward the front of the ensemble.

NMM 351 Helicon in Eb. Serial number 34750. Monster Eb Helicon. ca. 1916-1917. Made in Chicago, Illinois. Length 4428 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection. 

NMM 1226 Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 71525. Medium BBb Sousaphone, Bell-Up. 1921. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 5584 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection. 

NMM 13,798 Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 91792. Model 130 Mammoth Sousaphone. 1926. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 5447 mm. Holton Factory Reference Collection. 

NMM 2271 Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 107274. Collegiate Model 196 Medium BBb Holtonphone. 1930. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 5533 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection. 

NMM 11,765. Helicon in Eb. Serial number 20520. Monster Eb Helicon. 1912. Made in Chicago, Illinois. Low pitch 4262 mm. High pitch 3910 mm. Gift of Frances R. Fox.

NMM 102 Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 89673. Mammoth BBb Sousaphone, Bell-Up. 1925. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 5515 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection. 

NMM 339. Sousaphone in Eb. Serial number 79563. [Reconstructed] Monster Eb Holtonphone. 1923. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 4343 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection. 

NMM 13,799 Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 113167. Holtonphone BBb Bass Mammoth Model 130. 1932. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Holton Factory Reference Collection.

NMM 1223. Sousaphone in Eb. Serial number 102914. Model 110 Monster Eb Sousaphone, 4-valve. 1929. Length 4318 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection. 

NMM 370. Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 193588. Model 122 Medium Sousaphone. 1948. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 5559 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection.

NMM 13,795 Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 116354. Holtonphone BBb Bass Medium Model 120. 1934. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Holton Factory Reference Collection. 

NMM 13,796 Prototype Contrabass Bugle in GG. No serial number. Model K. 371. ca. 1964-1965. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 6155 mm. Holton Factory Reference Collection.

NMM 374 Sousaphone in BBb. Serial number 109080. Collegiate Model 196 Medium BBb Holtonphone. Made in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Length 5420 mm. Arne B. Larson Collection.