Calace labels

[vic-victor]

A couple of old Calace labels. Interesting mentioning of Catania along with Napoli on fratelli label. Did they send some work to Catania at some stage?

[Jim Garber]

Victor: do you know what years those labels are from?

[vic-victor]

Jim, the one with the portrait is from 1908, the other one is undated and is probably from 1890's. Here are the poor things:

[Jim Garber]

Which is which and which label goes with which one?

[vic-victor]

Looks like fratelli label is on the one with a broken fretboard.

[brunello97]

A couple of old Calace labels. Interesting mentioning of Catania along with Napoli on fratelli label. Did they send some work to Catania at some stage?

Very interesting, Victor, thanks. The first is unlike any Calace label from the '90s I have seen. They did seem to switch labels fairly often in the early years of the partnership. Here is one from 1892.

I've had the (unsubstantiated) thought that perhaps they (and others) might have been getting instruments from Catania and selling under their own name (or perhaps unfinished parts that were finished in Napoli.) I've suspected this about many of the MOR labels but perhaps also when I Fratelli were starting out as well.

Nothing to back this up on my part but a few rumors passed about here (and the fact that it was common practice here in the US and also in Germany at around the same time periods.

In any case--interesting post (and great, simple searchable thread name.) I'll post some more Calace label examples for comparison / compendium.

Mick

[vic-victor]

Thanks, Mick. That 1892 label is more elaborate. Mine could have been an earlier one. Or perhaps this is a special one that has been attached to Catania made instruments by other makers that I Fratelli got hold of ( as you suggested). Ramirez factory in Madrid (though much later) did the same with their guitars sticking round blue label rather than their standard one onto a run of the house instruments that came from other makers and I guess it was a common practice back then. More Calace labels, anyone?

My 1929 Calace has a pretty standard one:

[brunello97]

Thanks, Victor. Sig. Calace looked a bit more well trimmed in '29...

Here are a few: Another from I Fratelli with 1880 written in pencil, though I wonder if it is that old.

Also another from 1914 the Via Chiaia 207 address as from one of your initial examples--though a different design.

The third is from 1918 with (what I think reads as) a Piazza dei Martiri address. Not sure if I am reading that correctly. Would love to see a better version of this label if someone has one. (Jim.....?)

Mick

[vic-victor]

More labels

[DavidKOS]

Someone needs to restore those Calace's.

[vic-victor]

Hopefully I will get on to that one day.

[vic-victor]

Another interesting Calace label from 1894 Mandolin.

It is currently on ebay France.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MANDOLINE-...cAAOSwM4xXXuQ4

[Tavy]

Let me add 2 labels from an 1897 that I've just restored (or nearly so):

[August Watters]

Here's the label from the 1902 Calace I just bought, restored by Carlo Mazzaccara:

[Tavy]

So do we have any two labels that are actually the same?

[vic-victor]

This one from my files is the similar to the one in the French mandolin. The medal at the right though is different. So hardly any same ones

[vic-victor]

Here is the one from 1879:

[brunello97]

Let me add 2 labels from an 1897 that I've just restored (or nearly so):

I love the one on the right, John. Looks like a cereal box from the '50s.

Mick

[vic-victor]

Undated Piazza dei Martiri label circa 1917-19 that looks like it has been re-affixed, given the non-original fabrics linings.

[lgilet]

That's the label out of the mandolin I posted yesterday. How do you know the fabric lining is non original?
In my research quite a few of the Calace mandolins of a similar era have what appears to be the same fabric lining.

[vic-victor]

If you look at all the labels in this thread you will see that Calace mandolins (and actually 90% of other brands, too) lined inside with paper, not fabrics. With the exception of Roman mandolins that were lined with wooden shavings instead. Fabrics were used sometimes to reinforce the repaired areas and you fabrics patches in some instruments, but they were not there originally. I have never seen an original Calace lined with fabrics, it was not their style to do that. Looks like yours has been restored in the past and someone reinforced it with fabrics over the old paper to prevent further splits between the staves.

[lgilet]

If you look at all the labels in this thread you will see that Calace mandolins (and actually 90% of other brands, too) lined inside with paper, not fabrics. With the exception of Roman mandolins that were lined with wooden shavings instead. Fabrics were used sometimes to reinforce the repaired areas and you can see it in the form of patches in some instruments, but it wasn't there originally. I have never seen an original Calace lined with fabrics, it was not their style to do that. Looks like yours have been restored in the past and someone reinforced it with fabrics over the old paper.

Interesting, thank you.

And do you think the label is the correct label for the age of the instrument?

[vic-victor]

I will reply in the other thread where you posted the rest of the photos

[Jordan Ramsey]

[vic-victor]

Yet another Fratelli Calace of the early Napoli-Catania breed has been discovered. Second known example so far.