Vega Bowlback with Patent stamp May 15 94 (1894)

[CTCopper]

I have my grandmothers mandolin (she died in 1934) She and her sister came to Boston in 1891 alone as a 12 year old. She joined a Swedish Baptist church in Quincy and subsequently played a mandolin in a church group. Her sister arrive from Sweden later and I also have her mandolin. I know nothing about them, other than I am getting a good education from reading this forum. I have numerous photos, not sure that I got more than one uploaded. The one in best condition has a paper label "Vega" inside and on the metal clip on the end it is marked "Pat. May 15 94" which would have been 1894. I can't find any other markings, but also am not sure where to look?

The second Mandolin has marked American Conservatory inside and has cracks in the wood of the bowl back.

Since I never met my grandmother (or grandfather) as she died when my mother was only 6 years old, I only have this oral history, as well as some family letters referring to her joy of playing this instrument in the church group.

It is a beautiful appearing instrument and would like to find out more about it, I realize the patent date isn't the manufacture date, but it fits into the general time frame of when she likely acquired it. ((within a decade of that date) Thank you for any information and any help in uploading photos. I will see when this is posted if both photos I tried make it into the post. Thank you... Sandi CTCopper

[Bruce Clausen]

Thanks for the story and the photos, CT! Your family has a long history with the mandolin, and it's nice that you're collecting the information and sharing it. The 1890's seem like ancient history, unless we're lucky enough to have a connection to family memories like these. And having the instruments your forebears played on is a great bonus. Do you have any plans to learn to play?

The Vega looks to me like a modest but well-preserved mandolin. There are some real Vega experts here, and I hope we'll hear from them.

[CTCopper]

Thanks for the story and the photos, CT! Your family has a long history with the mandolin, and it's nice that you're collecting the information and sharing it. The 1890's seem like ancient history, unless we're lucky enough to have a connection to family memories like these. And having the instruments your forebears played on is a great bonus. Do you have any plans to learn to play?

The Vega looks to me like a modest but well-preserved mandolin. There are some real Vega experts here, and I hope we'll hear from them.

HI Bruce - Thank you for the response. Yes I hope some other Vega experts do answer! Knowing it is a modest instrument would certainly fit the circumstances in which she either bought or was given the instrument. I have no plans to learn to play and no one in the immediate family plays anything. My limited musical experience was playing the drums back in high school and never learned how to read music either. How can I care for it now that I have it, so that the wood doesn't split like on the second one I have (the second one belongs to my grandmother's sister - again who I never knew and her one granddaughter has no interest in it. I'm curious to know what kind of wood it is made from. If there are any resources out there to read about what and how a mandolin is actually made/physically created I'd love to read more about that. I appreciate the beauty of the wood. Thanks again

[Bruce Clausen]

Thanks for that, CT. Still hoping some of our resident Vega people will check in here with more info for you. Meantime, here is an old thread about Vega bowlbacks with some great photos, plus lots of lore and impressions.

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...highlight=vega

The woods on your Vega look like the normal ones for better mandolins of that era: spruce top, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, rosewood (probably Brazilian) bowl. Some fancy old mandolins used ivory and/or tortoise shell for ornamentation (in the binding, soundboard plate, strip spacers), but I don't see any of that on yours. If you're storing it well in a place that doesn't get too hot, cold or dry, I wouldn't worry much about any wood splitting at this point. But it looks like you do have a top crack now. So if you're tempted to replace those old strings with a new set, you should probably get a repair person to make sure everything looks solid, and then put on a set of low tension strings designed for this kind of mandolin. Most mandolin strings available nowadays are meant for the much heavier-built mandolins used by the bluegrass people.

Hope this helps!

[CTCopper]

Yes that helps and duh I just found a number (Serial?) on the Head - 9645 - etched by manufacturer I assume. Well I'm going to see if any of my Swedish relatives may have a home for it. I am hoping it finds a home with someone who can appreciate it.

[LadysSolo]

Yes, if you are going to restring it you need ultralight/very light strings. It is very cool that your grandmother enjoyed the mandolin so much. Try to keep it in the family - someone may want to learn to play it!

[allenhopkins]

This Mugwumps serial number table would put serial number 9645 around 1895. However, it's geared toward banjo serial numbers, and I don't know if Vega mandolins used the same serial number system. For what it's worth...

[CTCopper]

Wow the Mugwumps table provided a clue, not of the age, etc. but I see the address of the Vega Company was on Columbus Ave in Boston. Also that it was started/owned by Swedish immigrants. Now a far stretch that they would have been associated with the Swedish Baptist church where my grandmother went as it seemed to have been a refuge for Swedish immigrants. Also my grandfather, (he was not Swedish) but owned a grocery store on Columbus Ave from 1900 until 1929 - 607 Columbus Ave - My grandmother went to work as a clerk in that store for him and they were married within a year. They also lived for a time in an apartment next to the store. Then her sister also came from Sweden and also played a mandolin in the Swedish Church with her sister. I have that one as well, but it is cracked and the only marking on it says American Conservatory Trademark. So thank you for that clue!

[CTCopper]

Thank you LadysSolo! Perhaps my granddaughter who plays piano and just started with the violin might be interested. She's only 10 but is very lucky to live in a school district that strongly encourages and supports all sorts of student music programs.

[John Bertotti]

Nice. I bought a Vega bowlback from Jim here on the cafe and still have it. A great sounding instrument. Why would you want to get rid of it. Learn it, and enjoy it!

[CTCopper]

Thanks John, At my stage of arthritic fingers and never learning to play music at all, I'd rather have another family member enjoy it! It's pretty to look at I just have no place to store much any longer. The value in presenting it to an interested family member is I would get to hear the music!

[John Bertotti]

Very cool and very generous!