J E Dallas London Mandolin- late 19th- early 20th century

[NickR]

Not many stringed instruments- apart from banjos were made in the UK in the early 1900s. They were imported in the main from Germany, Italy, Bohemia (Schonbach) and France and later on, the USA. Some were made in relatively small numbers and this is probably an example. It could have been made in Germany or Bohemia but the likelihood is that it was made in England. The label gives the pre-1914 address of the company. I can add nothing more regarding this instrument but would imagine it was made in a workshop in London.London had seen an influx of skilled craftsman after the Napoleonic Wars and later more from across Europe. It is no accident that many London firms of note making instruments have foreign names- Panormo, D & A Roudhloff and later Clifford Essex having Marco Roccia as the top craftsman. This mandolin may have been made by other skilled workers originally from elsewhere.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Engl...AAAOSw3opbWI0t

[brunello97]

Thanks, Nick.

I love the look of Dallas's work. While I've never played one, they seem such curious and delightful permujustments of the standard form and dimensions.

Nothing seems at all similar to Italian, German or American mandolins. Curiously English, I suppose, in all the best sense.

Mick

[NickR]

Yes, Mick it is very curious. It's anyone's guess what such an instrument is worth. I have a German made Arthur Windsor- a very nice instrument- most likely pre-1914 with its case and it cost a fraction of what this is being pitched at. I'm not saying it is overpriced but it is not cheap. Here is my Windsor- the case is really nice as well.

Here is another with its original bridge and in the same type of case mine has- it is embossed with Arthur Windsor and would have been made by Reliance- also, in Birmingham like Windsor.

[tonydxn]

Here is a photo of a J E Dallas mandolin I have just restored (a much more modest instrument than the one on eBay). Same label. Plain, but very carefully made.

There is a sound sample here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t97T4Q2SWl0 but don't get your hopes up - I'm not much of a player.

[NickR]

It looks like you have done a great job on your mandolin. Bravo!

[Anglocelt]

Your wide-body mandolin is unusual for a J E Dallas instrument, but not unknown. I have one that needs restoration, very similar to yours but with different accessories (an elevated pickguard, for instance). The photo in tonydxn's post is the typical shape used. There was a big growth in mandolin playing and production in England between about 1890 and 1915, and Graham McDonald covers some of this period in his book 'The Mandolin: a History', which includes a number of photos of Dallas and other English mandolins of the period.
I am not sure how reliant this industry was on migrant workers, any more than other industries. In London there was already a big furniture industry, which branched out into piano making, and many string instrument craftsmen would have come from there - official statistics classed musical instruments as part of the furniture-making industry back then.
There is some discussion of English mandolins of this period on this thread.
Kevin