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Plamen Ivanov
Sep-05-2004, 5:18am
Hello,

I intended to rush myself a little bit more in finding out informations about "Puglisi", in order to make a more comprehensive profile of the factory and the instruments, before to publish it. There`s still a file in my PC with the names of few people "to write to" in order to learn something new or to cross-confirm already known things, but Jim`s request and the hard days which come along my life, make me to share with you the results of my Puglisi research at the moment. I hope it will become more complete in the future.


The Company.

The Puglisi family has started to build musical instruments in Catania (Sicily) since 1820. Giuseppe(G.) Reale was born in 1852 and was the son of a piano and organ builder. In 1880 he has founded one of the largest Italian factories for manufacturing bowed and plucked string instruments. After 1906 the firm`s name appears already as "G. Puglisi Reale i Figli(o)". Figli(o) means "sons" in Italian. The sons are Concetto Puglisi and Michelangelo Puglisi. Michelangelo Puglisi ran the workshop successfully after 1909 and his son Salvatore also played a part in this. They were active makers of fine violins (mainly), bows, strings, guitars, mandolins and unique cellos. Unfortunately the factory was destroyed during WWII by bombardment in 1943. Although it was rebuilt and some noted instruments were built after this time, many of the original Puglisi family susbsequently migrated from Sicily to USA, Canada and Australia. After Salvatore`s death his son-in-law Buccheri took over the factory. Before he died he gave all the factory tools to Alfredo Privitera, who established the Privitera company in 1962, which makes the instruments like Puglisi used to make. The Privitera factory still exists in Catania and is located on "Via Scuto Costarelli".


The Instruments.

Most of the "G. Puglisi Reale i Figli" mandolins I`ve seen have very similar construction or even the same. No doubt for me - typical Neapolitan bowlback mandolins, 21 ribs - bowl and neck made of rosewood, ebony fingerboard, spruce top, oval hole. Ebony bridge with ivory on it, the headstock has a typical form. V-form neck, 28-30 mm. at the nut, flat fingerboard with 17 bars (usually with dots on 3. 5. 7. 12. ending at the hole) or over the hole extension with 26 bars. Butterfly inlay of a different kind is also very typical, but also decorations with flowers, birds, etc. could be found. The mandolins are often mother-of-pearl inlaid, cuts ornamented, but there are also plain instruments. The most mandolins have an oval seal on the top, behind the bridge with the inscription "G. Puglisi Reale i Figli Catania" and an Ant inside. This is a distinguishing mark of the "Puglisi" mandolins. Inside the mandolin there should be a label with the same ant mark, but round and the following inscription: "G. PUGLISI REALE & FIGLI; PRIMO STABILIMENTO ITALIANO PER LA FABRICAZIONE DI STRUMENTI A CORDA; MARCA DI FABRICA CATANIA". The year of manufacture should be written as well. Once I came across an information about 12-string, flatback mandolin made by Puglisi, but this isn`t confirmed by now. The Puglisi mandolins should be defined as a middle class instruments. They were made exceptionally for export. So, today you can find them all over the world - in every European country, Russia, Japan, USA, Australia, Brazil, South Africa. The last one, that I saw was in Uruguay. Of course, it depends on every single instrument, but I think the price for a Puglisi mandolin in a good playable condition should be around 200-300$.
The price of the other "Puglisi" instruments - violins and cellos is much, much higher.

Jim, looking at the pictures of the one, that you posted, I think you won`t be disappointed with the Neapolitan bowlbacks!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Good luck!

vkioulaphides
Sep-06-2004, 12:29pm
Very interesting, Plami. I always thought that Reale simply meant "royal", as Naples and Sicily were royal domains under the crown of Spain, ruled pro forma by the Duke of Arragon and Asturias. I thought, in other words, that the firm's name claimed it to be a "royal" establishment as per administration and governance. Besides that, the house of Arragon mutated from the Habsburgs to the Bourbons, Austrian troops ransacked southern Italy under Metternich's administration, Napoleon and his Frenchmen did their fair share of damage, etc. etc. Verdi's travails with getting his operas staged in lower Italy paint a vivid picture of the region's monarchies-du-jour.

Mr. Garibaldi —one of my personal heroes— changed all that...

Plamen Ivanov
Sep-07-2004, 6:22am
Hello Victor,

It`s always a great pleasure to discuss things with you! Yes, in fact I thought the same about Reale in the beginning! Than a Sicilian friend of mine told me, that it`s just a name. Everything, that you said is quite right. Besides, if it was "reale" in the meaning, that we supposed, there should be any royal signs - crest, armorial bearings, etc. on the etiquettes or on the top instead of an Ant, right?

Garibaldi is a respected person in Bulgaria as well! There`s a squere in the center of Sofia called "G. Garibaldi". When you come here someday we will have a lunch there. There are beautiful restaurants.

Good luck, my friend! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

thesubliminalman
Aug-04-2009, 4:29pm
Pictures of Grampa's toy, it isn't in the best of condition, not playable, inside it says PUGLISI REALE & FIGLI ANNO 1915. Should I get it repaired or just hang it on the wall and admire it?

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2300/p8040001small.th.jpg (http://img34.imageshack.us/i/p8040001small.jpg/)

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3755/p8040004small.th.jpg (http://img530.imageshack.us/i/p8040004small.jpg/)

Alex Timmerman
Aug-04-2009, 5:25pm
Hello Thesubliminalman,

The photos you show here are of a nice Roman style mandolin made by Puglisi in 1915. Although he and his sons/successors are known primarely for their Neapolitan mandolins. This one looks like it has some cracks in the top on both sides of the fingerboard. If these are repairable it would most likely become a fine instrument again. Best to do is to go to a mandolin restorer and ask for some direct advice.


Best regards,

Alex.

thesubliminalman
Aug-04-2009, 5:39pm
Hello Thesubliminalman,

Best to do is to go to a mandolin restorer and ask for some direct advice.


Best regards,

Alex.

Thanks, that is what I will do. It was my Grampa's. He had a few ukes and mandos and a fiddle cause there wasn't room in the Curtis Jenny for a piano. Back in the 20's he was the cat daddy or so my Granny said.

Bob A
Aug-04-2009, 10:48pm
I second the repair suggestion. It doesn't look bad from what little I can see, and your Grandfather sounds like a heckuva guy. He'd like you to play his mandolin, I'm sure of it.

thesubliminalman
Aug-05-2009, 4:47pm
Thanks Bob, I am sure he would like that. The last time I saw him we got him to play a few tunes and have a glass of wine. I'll never forget that. He had a cheezier instrument in more playable shape that he used and a semi playable violin all of them much older that me. I hope they can still talk. I gotta go now, I think I got something in my eye.

syfolk
Feb-23-2010, 6:41pm
Hi. I play a Michelangelo Puglisi violin but can't find anything about its origins on the internet. It reads "Michelangelo Puglisi Figlio di Guiseppe Reale fece in Catania Anno 191(5 or 3)". It also has another label that reads "Heredes q. Galparo Cargnono de Salodio 1893".
I have absolutely no idea what any of the inscriptions means, but would be very interested to find out.
Pete.