1921 Photo Mandolin Orchestra

[Backlineman]

Here's an interesting photo of "The Gibsonians" as my Great Aunt says they called themselves. Or as I know them as "The Ivers Mandolin Orchestra." This photo taken in Adams Massachusetts in 1921. This orchestra was made up of may of my relatives, including my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother; Joseph and Mary Ivers in the center. My Great Grandmother is holding a Gibson F-4 my father still plays. I believe these are all Gibson instruments. My Great Grandfather Joseph Ivers was a Gibson dealer of sorts, music teacher, and Orchestra leader. Some of these instruments are still in the family.

[Jake Wildwood]

Very cool... but sheesh...! Quite an investment for the family, eh?

[JEStanek]

Simply wonderful photo and family history and heirlooms! Thanks,

Jamie

[Ken Olmstead]

Yeah, Thanks! It is fun to put names with faces to photos like that for a change!

[MANDOLINMYSTER]

cool picture! it looks like there are five white faced A3's in that photo.
Thanks for sharing.

[Jim Garber]

"Every one a Gibsonite"

Backlineman, what is the instrument that your great grandpa is holding? It seems to be obscured by the shadows.

[thistle3585]

Are there many recordings of these early mandolin orchestras readily available?

[delsbrother]

"Every one a Gibsonite"

Backlineman, what is the instrument that your great grandpa is holding? It seems to be obscured by the shadows.

The baton?

[Scott Tichenor]

He is indeed holding a baton I believe. I took this into Photoshop and zoomed in and it sure looks like that's what he's holding. Here's a different version of that image with a bit of tweaking and set grayscale. Beautiful photo, terrific story. Wish my family had a bunch of mandolins like this! :grin:

[Jason Kessler]

Wow...to be a fly on the wall of Ivers Family Thanksgivings...

[Timbofood]

How fabulous to have not just the photograph but, some of the instruments too! How kind of you to share. Nice photoshopping too BTW.

[billkilpatrick]

wow is right ...

does family history explain the (1 to 15) ratio in favor of the "a" models?

were they ever recorded?

thank you for sharing this - bill

[Doug Edwards]

Looks like most of them are making the same chord shape too.

[Backlineman]

I don't know of any recordings of this specific orchestra. It appears that my Great Grandfather is in fact holding a baton. I also noticed that everyone seems to be fretting the same chord.

[mandolirius]

Check out the woman in the first row, far right, with the whiteface (or possibly blonde). What's she doing with the index finger of her left hand?

[MikeEdgerton]

...Wish my family had a bunch of mandolins like this!...

You and I have had this discussion. I've got a 30's Regal that belonged to my uncle and I believe Scott has a non-descript bowlback that belonged to his wife's family. Oh to be able to go visit Uncle John and Aunt Bessie and find a treasure trove like this. :)

[JeffD]

That is great. So many of these kinds of pictures, (and I have saved as many as Google will find for me), are totally anonymous. Its great that it is a kind of family picture as well.

My Grandfather played mandolin in the Bloomfield NJ area, back in the earlier part of the last century. Apparently he played right up until he got married. I don't know what mandolin groups he may have played in, or who he might have played with.

Fact is, I never knew anything about this. He passed when I was very young. I had been playing the mandolin for several years before I learned that there was any family connection.

[lmartnla]

Quote: Check out the woman in the first row, far right, with the whiteface (or possibly blonde). What's she doing with the index finger of her left hand?

I think you are seeing the nut and her thumb peeking around the neck from behind. Count her fingers, they are all in anatomically feasible positions.

[TomTyrrell]

Back in those days Gibson was a big supporter of mandolin orchestras. The business model for the "dealer" was to start a mandolin orchestra, sell a mandolin to everyone who wanted to join and teach them how to play their mandolins.

Most of the photos I have show a very high concentration of A models. Often the only F player in the whole orchestra was the leader/dealer/teacher.

[Mark Sullivan]

Check out the woman in the first row, far right, with the whiteface (or possibly blonde). What's she doing with the index finger of her left hand?

The gent in the backrow, almost directly behind her has a similar look, but his fingers are in a different approach for what may be same position.

carpe diem -

[Jim Garber]

My great aunt had a Martin A that my cousin now has. I asked both my mom and my uncle what kind of music she played and they said they never remembered her playing it. That is the full extent of the mandolin in my family.

[mandolirius]

<I think you are seeing the nut and her thumb peeking around the neck from behind. Count her fingers, they are all in anatomically feasible positions.>

On a closer look, I think you're right. It's the nut, not her finger.

[Bill Snyder]

I am glad that delsbrother and Scott cleared up the question about what the leader was playing. I just thought he might have been an early air mandolinist.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/SNive.gif/19px-SNive.gif

[Backlineman]

Here's some more recent pictures of at least two of the instruments in the original "Ivers Mandolin Orchestra" photo: Gibson Mandola H2- # 66429, not sure who's holding this one, and Gibson Mandolin F-4 #24532. Held by My Great Grandmother in the the center.

[JEStanek]

How wonderful to see them these 87 years later in color.

Jamie

[Backlineman]

I recently discovered that this photo of my Great grandfather's Mandolin Orchestra appears on page 21 of the Gibson "M" catalog, published in 1921, confirming my theory that he (Joseph L. Ivers) was a Gibson "agent" or dealer, and that this photo was part of the "Everyone a Gibsonite" marketing campaign. Some of these instruments are still owned and played by Ivers family members. For example, my father Robert Ivers still plays the 1916 F4 in the center played by my Great Grandmother Mary Ivers in this photo. He also owns a 1921 H2 Mandola, no doubt pictured brand spanking new somewhere in this photo. I would love to try to contact other family members to see where some of these other instruments ended up.

[Tripp Johnson]

Too cool for words!

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Anyone else notice that the young man in the back row on the left was about to --or had done so and thought better of it-- give the young lady to his right a set of bunny ears?
:)

Nice to see some things never change.

Daniel

[Tripp Johnson]

I think that's just the ribbon in her hair. He looks ready to pick. :mandosmiley:

[Ben Milne]

thats some really cool stuff!!