
They concentrated primarily on licensing, importing and distribution rather than manufacturing, and by 1939 had grown to become the largest company in the British musical instrument industry. Selmer UK Ī semi-independent branch of Selmer for the United Kingdom was created in 1928 under the leadership of two brothers, Ben and Lew Davis. Selmer & Cie retaining a minority interest in 1923, then sold to its American partner George Bundy in 1927, ending the financial interest of H. The H&A Selmer (USA) Company, originally a retail partnership between the two brothers, was incorporated to expand with H. Alexandre Selmer established himself in New York in 1909, opening a shop that sold Selmer clarinets and mouthpieces. In 1904, Selmer clarinets were presented at the Saint Louis (USA) World's Fair, winning a Gold Medal. In 1898 Selmer opened a store and repair shop in Paris and started producing clarinets. in 1885, Henri began making clarinet reeds and mouthpieces. At the time, musical instruments and accessories were primarily hand made, and professional musicians found it necessary to acquire skills allowing them to make their own accessories and repair and modify their own instruments.

They were the great-grandchildren of French military drum major Johannes Jacobus Zelmer, grandchildren of Jean-Jacques Selmer, the Army Chief of Music, and two of 16 children in this musical family. In the late nineteenth century, brothers Alexandre and Henri Selmer graduated from the Paris Conservatory as clarinetists. Among famous Selmer Clarinet players is Benny Goodman in his early career. Selmer Paris instruments have been played by many well-known saxophonists such as Marcel Mule, Claude Delangle, Frederick Hemke, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Paul Desmond, Herschel Evans, Zoot Sims, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman and Coleman Hawkins. Henri Selmer Paris used to be family-owned but was sold to Argos-Wityu in 2018.

Founded in 1885, it is known as a producer of professional-grade woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones, clarinets and trumpets. Henri Selmer Paris is a French enterprise, manufacturer of musical instruments based at Mantes-la-Ville near Paris.
