I noticed this 1892 account of a show that included a drummer that apparently was playing an early kit with the basics like we’ve known for more than a century (probably without pedals though).
Music Trade Review 1892 -- source - arcade-museum.comA troupe of four players, two men and twowomen, who are on the road with Carmencita,have an entertaining specialty. Their act beginswith the men playing on the same .violintogether, and then all four play on xylophones.This is followed by the playing of four concertinasin such a way that they reproduce themusic of four orchestral instruments. At thesame time one of the performers plays a snaredrum, a bass drum, cymbals and a triangle.
There were many acts mentioned in the article at the link below that made music with quite a variety of items used as instruments including the “Chinese Fiddle” made of an open cigar box with four strings on it. Here’s a quote: “The veteran Sam Dearin made one twenty-three years ago and plays on it still. It was played successfully back in the fifties (1850s) by George Buckley, of the original Buckley serenaders in the palmy days of minstrelsy.” The link to the full page is below.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/mtr/MTR-1892-16-2/index.php?page_no=14&frame=MTR-1892-16-2-14.pdf
