A. Galiano early 1900s?

[Mando-Lin-do]

Hi friends, I sincerely appreciate everyone's help in helping me determine the year, quality of this Mandolin, as well as the true maker. This Mandolin belongs to a friend of mine. She inherited it from her father. It's in very good condition, with no damage. Thanks to all for your willingness to help.

Mando-Lin-Do

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[Graham McDonald]

A. Galiano was a label rather than a person. The label/brand was probably owned by the Oscar Schmidt company of New Jersey and the instruments built on contract by a number of Italian-American guitar and mandolin builders in New York. These included Raphael Ciani whose name appears on some of the Galiano labels. I don't think any of them were numbered or dated. Ciani had his own workshop with several employees, one of whom was his nephew John D'Angelico who became one America's most significant guitar builders. Date would likely be somewhere between 1900 and 1920. Quality is hard to tell from fuzzy phone camera pics, but I have the idea that the Galiano line were a step above Oscar Schmidt's larger volume factory instruments. Small shop rather than mass produced. There are people here with much more knowledge on New York made instruments of the period.
Cheers

[Eddie Sheehy]

There's a Ciani under the Galiano label in the Classifieds with a bit of a write-up. AD no. 101296.

[brunello97]

Ciani's name is featured prominently on the Galiano labels, presumably on the mandolins he had some involvement in. Whether he didn't have any involvement on mandolins that his name doesn't appear on is an exercise in proving the negative.

John D'Angelico was "apprenticed" to his Uncle Raphael's shop in 1914, when he was nine years old. Enthusiasm regarding any role he might have had in the making of any Ciani / Galiano bowlback mandolins should be tempered accordingly.

Mick

[MikeEdgerton]

The mandolin the OP has posted has very common inlay that was used by the Chicago builders including Harmony. The offset design on the scratch plate is a different story. I haven't seen a lot of that.

[Mando-Lin-do]

Thank you to all of you kind members that responded. I sincerely appreciate your time and input. It is very much appreciated.

Mando-Lin-Do