My great grandfathers mandolin he brought with him to the United States from Calabria Iralyin early 1900’s around 1908 please help identify can find any markings make or manufacturer any help would be appreciated.
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My great grandfathers mandolin he brought with him to the United States from Calabria Iralyin early 1900’s around 1908 please help identify can find any markings make or manufacturer any help would be appreciated.
If there's any maker information, it would be on a paper label inside the instrument.
Can you post closeup photos of the front and back of the headstock?
First impression is that clamshell tailpieces like that are not usually found on vintage Italian bowlbacks. If this is an Italian instrument, it was repaired or modified after being brought to the U.S.
It appears to be missing the bridge -- do you have it around somewhere?
I suspect that one didn't didn't come from Italy.
Looks like US-made mandolin to me, too. Alas, family legends are not always true.
It happens all the time here.Quote:
Originally Posted by vic-victor
That's a fairly typical example of an American made budget priced BB mandolin. Now, in theory at least, it is possible that the OP's grandfather bought an American import mandolin in Italy before embarking onto his trip to the New World, however, I'd say not a likely scenario, which brings to mind a venerable Brit expression..."Taking coals to Newcastle".:grin:
The tuners and tailpiece are US made and the mandolin looks like a typical US build of the early 1900s. If you visit this website, you will find an identical mandolin for sale. It is identified as an Oscar Schmidt/ Galiano. This may be the source of the confusion as Galiano mandolins were made by various Italian makers in New York as well as OS. However, this one was made in New Jersey, although I dare say the workforce probably included many from Italy at that time.
https://hmtrad.com/collections/the-used-page/mandolin
There's a lot of questions about the Galiano's. They were marketed to the Italian community, they weren't necessarily made by the Italian community even with all the hype that has surrounded them for years. The Oscar Schmidt Company was very good at marketing. I'm certain this one was acquired after the gentleman landed in the US.
I am sure it was acquired in the USA but if it had a Galiano label in it, further down the line, family members may have thought it was Italian made and thus the folklore begins... Some Galiano mandolins were made by Stromberg-Voisinet- and there was an Italian connection there- Joseph Zorzi who was recruited from Lyon & Healy. However, whether or not there were Italians in the workforce, this is an American mandolin, all right!
Several years ago I was using the same facts you're quoting only to be corrected. Take my word for it, I drew the same conclusions and was proven wrong by the guy that wrote the book.
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...l=1#post776294
I have got Wright's and Pleijsier's books. However, I have not memorised the detailed aspects and have spent less time with the latter purely because it is so vast- I have read the aspects that pertain to my interest. I am sure that someone has distilled the correct ingredients into a few posts on this site- it is a question of finding those erudite pieces when you need them! Whether or not these storied builders of old were doing what we think they were doing, one thing is for sure, this is an American mandolin made at a time when work forces were comprised of folk from all across Europe- the more skilled often having been working in the business back in the old country.