Bowlbacks of Note

[DavidKOS]

I picked up this piece in amazing condition - no cracks, splits, sinking, straight neck...

Nice looking find there, and in good condition! Enjoy playing it.

[Tavy]

That looks to be a great find - interesting piece of history too!

[Jim Garber]

I picked up this piece in amazing condition - no cracks, splits, sinking, straight neck... The label is torn but looks like A. Galiano, then Raphael Ciani on either side of a Mason's calipers -there may be some small writing in pencil under CIANI, then MANDOLINI E CHITARRE Garantite. I thought it was Italian, since the label is written in Italian but Mick put me on to researching Raphael Ciani who was the Great-uncle of John D'Angelico - John was his apprentice at the A. Galiano factory. here is a link to a mandolin with the same label as mine that is accredited to John D'Angelico making it for Raphael... http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/PluckedStrin...olin13563.html

All respects to The National Museum, I am not 100% sure that their mandolin was made by John D'Angelico. One thing they note is the headstock inlay. I have a Ricca bowl back with that same inlay and have seen guitars by other makers with it as well. I believe this was just an inlay purchased by a pearl supplier. JD was a teen (I believe) when he worked for his uncle. I also think Ciani had talents to produce quality work. I have seen a few bowlbacjs with JD labels one in the Met show. Sort of like the Larson attribution...

OTOH, Eddie, yours is a pretty high end one and Ciani is a respected builder as well. Most likely he had a hand in making that one -- not so sure about JD. Enjoy it anyway.

[brunello97]

Let's bear in mind that John D'Angelico was born in 1905 and began 'apprenticing' with Zio Raphael in 1914, when he was nine years old.

Attributions of mandolin provenance projected onto a little kid should be done carefully.

Jim is right. RC was no slouch at all. I would estimate Eddie's mandolin to have come from the early '00s when Ciani was probably under the influence of Angelo Manello more than his bambino nipote.

Mick

[Eddie Sheehy]

Here's a couple of vid clips to show the mandolin:

Vivaldi's Concerto in D Maj - Largo - and an excerpt from Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Mandolins...

[Scot63]

Sounds like it has a nice, consistent tone. Great find!

[Graham McDonald]

One thing to remember is that the A. Galiano brand was likely own by Oscar Schmidt. Some of the Galiano labeled instruments might well have been made in the OS factory, perhaps the cheaper ones, while others, which added the Ciani name to the label, such as Eddie's were made in Ciani's shop. Ciani does not seem to have had his own label at any time, but is a fascinating link to Luigi Ricca's workshop in the 1890s and the later work of a whole bunch of Italian American guitar and mandolin builders in New york for decades after, of who D'Angelico was the best known. Ciani and D'angelico both worked and lived on Kenmare St in lower Manhattan and sadly there is no trace of either of them left there as far as I could see. I dragged a mildly protesting spouse along the length of the street a couple of months back. I don't think any of the building that either occupied in still in existence.

[brunello97]

Thanks, Graham, for that. That's what I know about the Galiano label. Somewhere I recall a reference someone was making to "The Italians" working in the OS shop--a reference to RC and his crew, as if Ciani and his crew had a sub-studio within the bigger operation in Jersey. This assumedly before he set up his own operation in NYC. Need to track that citation down.

Some of the Galiano labels I have seen make no reference to Ciani. Others have the initials RC. Still others have his full name spelled out.

I keep thinking that Jim and Mike E must have a load of time on their hands and they could put together this awesome history of Ricca, Schmidt, Weymann, Ciani, Manello, etc. The Jersey Boys.

But it's just my imagination, running away with me.

Mick

[Graham McDonald]

I would think there were lots of Italians working in the Schmidt factory in NJ, but there were another group who might well have come through the Ricca factory in the 1890s (and who used that as promotion for themselves later) who might have also worked in Ciani's shop later and when D'Angelico closed that down to work on his own also kept building around NY. People like A Russo and Antonio Grauso claimed a Ricca connection and Grauso also worked for Ciani, along with Anonio Cerrito and Joseph Nettuno who were both around into the 1930s. Articles in The Cadenza suggest that Manello's shop was mostly staffed by relatives, or at least people from his home village. His shop made a lot of instrument for Charles Bruno as well as with his own label.

[brunello97]

I would think there were lots of Italians working in the Schmidt factory in NJ, but there were another group who might well have come through the Ricca factory in the 1890s (and who used that as promotion for themselves later) who might have also worked in Ciani's shop later and when D'Angelico closed that down to work on his own also kept building around NY. People like A Russo and Antonio Grauso claimed a Ricca connection and Grauso also worked for Ciani, along with Anonio Cerrito and Joseph Nettuno who were both around into the 1930s. Articles in The Cadenza suggest that Manello's shop was mostly staffed by relatives, or at least people from his home village. His shop made a lot of instrument for Charles Bruno as well as with his own label.

I think you are right, Graham, but we just want to keep in mind the time span here. We're talking about a range of time from probably around 1895 to the mid 20s. That's an eternity in the early halcyon years of the mandolin in America.

"The Italians" I was referring to in my uncited quote weren't just a group of Italian guys working in on the shop floor as you indicate, but clearly a noteworthy collection of luthiers / craftsmen unto themselves. Ciani was il capo of them for at least a short while. No doubt there was as much nepotism and cross fertilization in the shops on the East Coast as there was in Boston or Chicago or Napoli. That these guys might have come through Ricca to Ciani to Schmidt to wherever (or back and forth) would seem only natural. I'm sure Manello was open to whoever could walk the walk no matter what a Credenza writer at the time might have devined while interviewing Italians or Italian Americans in those days. The mandolin / instrument making world in the US changed dramatically between 1905 and 1915 and 1925 and 1935 as you know probably better than I. Linking names and associations to specific time frames is much more useful than broader brush connections, eg. Ciani / D'Angelico in 1902.......

Yeah, the link between Bruno and Manello and Ciani and the NJ "Itallians" and probably Schmidt and Weymann is a book in and of itself. One look at the mandolins makes all that pretty clear.

Mandolin Start Ups. Now there's an interesting historical concept.

[tkdboyd]

Oh how I covet this on one ebay

[Jim Garber]

Oh how I covet this on one ebay

Not too bad a deal at $998 BIN if they will ship from Germany. I imagine the price is lower since it has at one set of non-original tuners, missing tailpiece cover and non-original/non-repro bridge. Could be a deal for someone depending on whether the restoration was done well. Some issue of replaced veneer on headstock. Interesting that the "Emberger" stamp is not straight.

[JeffD]

Interesting that the "Emberger" stamp is not straight.

What might that indicate?

[Eddie Sheehy]

It's crooked?

[Jim Garber]

What might that indicate?

Too much chianti that day.

[brunello97]

Too much chianti that day.

Somebody in the shop got their culo kicked that day from Luigi. At least I hope so.

I'm a maple bowl lover, but Jim, your RW Embergher is a real prize......

Mick

[brunello97]

Here's a bowlback decked out for a Second Line. Ad says from a 'New Orleans Maker' but wisely suggests that it may be a NOLA 'decorator'. Rather modest given the context.

Hard for me to read anything on the label from the image provided.

Mick

[DavidKOS]

Ad says from a 'New Orleans Maker' but wisely suggests that it may be a NOLA 'decorator'.

That label looks like something else has been pasted over an oval label - and both are hard if not impossible to read.

I am not sure who made mandolins in New Orleans , but there was a very large Sicilian immigration directly to New Orleans, and I'm certain one of my ancestors' countrymen could make a mandolin.

Werlein's and other companies existed since the 1840's and may well have sold mandolins that were made in other cities. It's possible they sold some made locally but I have heard of any.

http://www.myneworleans.com/New-Orle...os-FOR-A-SONG/

Any further info would be appreciated.

[brunello97]

The inside of the bowl looks like it has been papered, though it is hard to tell from the photo. While I have no doubt this was made in the States that wasn't typical practice here and suggests an Italian influence, if not hand.

Headstock and certain details are similar to those from Chicago. Could have been a custom job for someone in LA given the dedicated engraving on the tuner cover plate. Pretty clumsy bling in some regards, but I appreciate the exuberance. '90s era Chicago bowlback bling can be pretty stultifying to my eye.

I'll send the seller a note and see if they can send or post some better photos of the label.

Mick

[DavidKOS]

Could have been a custom job for someone in LA given the dedicated engraving on the tuner cover plate. Pretty clumsy bling in some regards, but I appreciate the exuberance. '90s era Chicago bowlback bling can be pretty stultifying to my eye.

That may have been one of the Malmquist family, Marie - I've seen old concert programs from New Orleans that included them and if I recall at least one played mandolin.

" since Malmquist, Emile, b. Aug. 10. 1857, in Stockholm
teacher , choirmaster of Grace Church, New Orleans;"

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbo...1000031729/715

"CONSERVATORY OK MUSIC. Prof. Halmqolit'f Pupils Give - m Pleasing; Entertainment. The twelfth concert of the New Orleans Conservatory of Music was given at Werleih Hall, on Canal street, last night, and was well attended. The following programme was given: "Lustsplel," Keler Bela, violins Misses F. Glover, L. Levy, D. Anderson, Masters J. Glover, Wilson, C. Himel KIrst, pianos Mrs. Ernst, Misses R. Otis, R. Otis, M. Davis; "Cav-atina," Raff, Prof. Porte; tenor solo, selected, Mr. J. L. Junod; string quartette, Tschaikowskl, Profs. Porte. Sim-no Bremer and Malmquist; "Liberty Bell," Sousa. mandolins Misses M. Davis, D. Anderson, K. Elizardl, Messrs. O. Malmquist. H. Arbo, i. Malmquist, guitar A. Arbo, piano Miss L. Levy; -Berceuse" (lullaby), Chopin, Prof. Malmquist; "Proposal'' (string quartette), Uaff, Profs. Porte, Simno. Bremer and Malmquist; soprano solo, selected, Mrs. Marie Malmquist; mandolin and guitar duet, by Messrs. H. and A. Arbo;"

http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/28277900/

The name was misread but it's the Malmquists.

Note Marie is on the program as a singer. I'm pretty sure it's her mandolin though.

[brunello97]

That may have been one of the Malmquist family, Marie - I've seen old concert programs from New Orleans that included them and if I recall at least one played mandolin....... I'm pretty sure it's her mandolin though.

Amazing.

Very impressive legwork there, Séamus!

Mick

[vic-victor]

Calace knock off by Puglisi, from Moscow classifieds website.

[Jim Garber]

Calace knock off by Puglisi, from Moscow classifieds website.

The bridge looks to be positioned incorrectly. Perhaps an indication of high action.

[tkdboyd]

Someone down under needs to purchase this '29 Calace

[vic-victor]

I am selling this one. It is also in the Cafe classifieds