Re: Mandolin origin/maker
I agree with Victor that this is very likely of Italian origin.
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Besides the newspapers...which as Richard suggests....could come from an Italian language newspaper in many a large city, the details of the fretboard ending at the soundhole and the bowl staves do suggest Italian to me.
A key thing, of course, will be the condition of the top and thus the position of the neck. Very often we see in these old bowls that top sinks in just a bit around the soundhole causing the neck to rotate upwards even a tad which can make the playing action impossible.
Reinforcing the soundhole area underneath and replacing with fretboard with a new tapered one can work wonders: rescue playability, correct any flaws in the intonation from sketchioso fret spacing.
Fortunately these are not exhaustive repairs in competent hands.
It looks like maybe some of that work is already under way!
In trying to read the newspaper, it is fascinating that there is a 'dateline' Washington DC and some reference to a 'conferenza' of some kind 'del Pacifico'.
Maybe enough clues for a detective to start tracking down when such conference may have occured?
There was a postwar 'naval conference' in DC after WWI which Italy took part in.
But that date might be toward the later end of when this mandolin was likely made.
Fair play to you for getting this instrument renovated for future use.
Please share more photos of the project as it continues.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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