Orville Wright's mandolin

[craigw]

So we are on a cross country trip leading to IBMA at the end of the month and presently in the Washington DC area to soak in the nations history. Yesterday we toured the Smithsonian Aeronautics and Space museum and found they had a whole room devoted to the Wright Brothers when I stumbled on a display of Orville Wright's personal mandolin. I think someone may have posted a thread on this in the past but, if not, I'll submit the photo I took of it. I think y'all might might be amused by the text of a note written by Orville's mother:
"Orv has begun lessons on his mandolin and we re getting even with the neighborhood for noise they have made on pianos. He sits and plays that thing until I can hardly stay in the house."
Katherine Wright - 1900

[LongBlackVeil]

Wow! Cool, it sure is in remarkable shape.

They should've gotten a banjo mandolin if they really wanted to get back at the neighbors. I'm sure they didn't even notice that old bowlback if they were used to hearing a piano all day

[MikeEdgerton]

Some past discussions of Orville's mandolin can be found here.

[Givson]

Not having Mandolin Cafe to distract him, young Orville spent less time practicing the mandolin than he should, and soon turned his attention to other, less productive, hobbies.

[JEStanek]

Hmmm. I wonder if I claim my American Conseravtory mandolin as being the "same" as Orville's if a serious airplane collector would pay me big bucks for a "correct" mandolin for their collection.... <rubs hands and imagines the profit>

Jamie

[Bertram Henze]

He sits and plays that thing until I can hardly stay in the house.

Some things never change...

[Bill Snyder]

Hmmm. I wonder if I claim my American Conseravtory mandolin as being the "same" as Orville's if a serious airplane collector would pay me big bucks for a "correct" mandolin for their collection.... <rubs hands and imagines the profit>

Jamie

I think imagines is the key word in that scenario.

[JeffD]

Hmmm. I wonder if I claim my American Conseravtory mandolin as being the "same" as Orville's if a serious airplane collector would pay me big bucks for a "correct" mandolin for their collection..

Money has been made on less of thread of a connection.

[Jeff Mando]

I was thinking along the lines of the "what's in a name" thread--Orville Gibson/Orville Wright, that time period. both were inventors/engineers/mad scientists....hmmmm, were they ever photographed together?

[Jeff Mando]

Oops, not MAD scientists--was thinking of Dr. Frankenstein! or Young Frankenstein!

[bart mcneil]

It is rumored that as a young man his favorite tune on his mandolin was "I'll Fly Away".

[Cal]

Good one (I'll Fly Away"). No doubt!

Cal