1900 Hartmann Bros and Reinhard,rare?

[Baddoghouse]

I find no other mandolins by this company or mentions except one single post here from years ago. I found a zuther in a New York musem , an old advert in a new york mag , and a luthier award at the 1894 WorldFair.
Perfect condition. The strings looked 50 years old and a velvet bag looked to be from the 50s. Its got yellowing thick shallac around and on the fret board itself, and shellac spots on the bone tuners, making me suspect it was restored in the past because its such good condition.The action and neck is perfect, the tuners are Martin.

[Baddoghouse]

Got pics now

[Baddoghouse]

I cannot find a single mandolin by this maker on the market.
The company only lasted 10 years but won awards at the WorldFair and has a zuthers in a New York musuem. Perfect Condition and playability.


How much is it worth? I paid 95$. My first mandolin but been olaying guitar for 20 years.
Found at antique shop and recognized it was playable

[allenhopkins]

This firm shows up in the Musical Instrument Makers of New York book as having a place of business, maybe several, on the Bowery at 26th St. 1881-1890, with a later address in Jersey City NJ. The book states, "Although listed as 'Musical Instrument Manufacturers'...it is probable that most of their goods were imported. It is also likely that all three of the partners [Alfred & Rudolph Hartmann, plus ? Reinhard] were from Germany."

The mandolin doesn't look German-made, necessarily; in fact, it looks very like one of the Chicago-built Lyon & Healy et. al. products. The Hartmann Brothers zither that popped up on eBay does look like a German import, but this one could well be of US manufacture. There were firms that listed themselves as "instrument makers," but mainly or exclusively sold products from large-scale builders, customized and labeled to their specifications. That's why we find Wurlitzer, Ditson, B & J, Bruno, and other mandolins identifiable as made by well-known US makers.

I'm sure you'll get responses from Cafe members with more bowl-back expertise than I have.

[allenhopkins]

Duplicates this thread in the Vintage Instruments forum.

Moderators: thread combining indicated?

[MikeEdgerton]

They were probably retailers or distributors. That mandolin is pretty generic. They are listed in Mugwumps. I'm guessing that Christian F. Hartmann in Nazareth was actually Martin.

[brunello97]

My guess would be a Mid-Atlantic Rim builder likely with ex-pat Italian workers, given the general body shape and Sienese top binding.
Squared off fretboard end, body shape and rosewood doesn't suggest an import to me. Tuners aren't "Martin". Martin didn't make tuners, but sourced them like everyone else. A common type used on late '90s to mid 00's Italian bowlbacks which also leads me to think this might have been made in the Ciani-orbit around NJ / NY / maybe Boston. I don't think Chicago, but could be wrong, of course.

Mick