Mandolin article

[btrott]

I was looking around in google books and found this article from an 1897 edition of Godey's Magazine that I though you all might enjoy: Requisites of a Mandolinist (http://books.google.com/books?id=Fd4RAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA260&dq=mandolin&lr=&num=50&as_brr=1#PPA255,M1)

Barry

[John Kasley]

What absolutely florid prose! Reminds me of the old Gibson catalogs.
In the discourse on necessary technique, I noticed there wasn't any mention of tremolo. Or would this have been an arcane detail for the casual reader and best left out?

What was the target audience for Godey's magazine? The table of contents covers a pretty broad range.

[btrott]

Godey's was the major American woman's magazine of the 19th century. It was published from 1830 to 1898. At its height of popularity it had a circulation of about 150,000, and aimed to provide readers with a wide range of articles on topics of popular interest. In addition to articles, they also published original short fiction. Here's a description from A history of American literature by Percy Holmes Boynton:

Founded by Louis A. Godey, July, 1830, and managed by him as a monthly
until 1877. In 1837 it absorbed the Boston Lady's Magazine and took over its
editor, Sarah J. Hale. Its chief distinction and highest circulation (150,000)
came under its first manager. It printed much early work of Longfellow,
Holmes, Poe, Bayard Taylor, Mrs. Sigourney, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
In its last years it was renamed Godey's Magazine. In 1898 it was absorbed by
the Puritan.

Barry

[Jim Garber]

Barry:
Thanks very much for pointing that article out. Great stuff.

I found this clipping in some old mandolin sheet music a few years back. I guess at that point in time men were attracted to women who played mandolin.

http://www.paperclipdesign.com/19ctunes/sumgirl.gif

[btrott]

This is delightful, Jim. Thanks for sharing this.

Barry

[Jkf_Alone]

i really enjoyed the article. especially the part about the banjo mandolins becoming popular for their "purity of tone"

[brunello97]

...... I guess at that point in time men were attracted to women who played mandolin.

Amigo! #What makes you think times have changed? #Or attracted to Accordionistas as well.......

Mick

[MandoSquirrel]

...... I guess at that point in time men were attracted to women who played mandolin.

Amigo! What makes you think times have changed? Or attracted to Accordionistas as well.......

Mick
I wondered about that, too. Aren't we still? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Steve Ostrander]

Mandolin attracts women. Banjo repels them.

[brunello97]

Mandolin attracts women. Banjo repels them.

Interesting..... The only banjo I ever had was given to me by a woman. # I wanted to play so badly and dug hard into it, but my practicing drove us both nuts. (If I could magically get from here to there and just play the thing, I would love to be a banjo player-I'm crazy about the right hand stuff. #But alas.) I actually enjoy practicing the mandolin-and I can do it at 6am or 11pm and get a smile in return. #

All due respect to our mandolinistas here, but I really dig women who play the accordion. #So I married one. #No looking back.

Mick

[OzMando]

Apparently it's easier to play attractively on the banjo than on the guitar.
What's up there!? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Oh well, lovely article, thanks for sharing.