VINTAGE bowlback NY mandolin

[thunderfingers]

Does anyone have any info on mandolins made by Hartmann Bros. and Reinhard NY NY. Made around 1890-1900.



Fixed thread header. JEStanek

[allenhopkins]

The Mugwumps index of American musical instrument makers gives dates of 1890-1901 for Hartmann Bros. & Reinhard. There's a concert zither, with an estimate of c.1883, in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and harpguitars.net shows a quite high-quality harp guitar from HB&R here. Business listings show them at 124 West 23rd Street; other listings have the Hartmanns at 255 Bowery, and then show a later (1893) factory in Jersey City. There are HB&R banjos, zithers, and guitars showing up in collections and dealers' inventories here and there; not many, but the ones displayed all seem to be good-quality instruments. The firm was evidently not in business, either as Hartmann Bros. or Hartmann Bros. & Reinhard, for more than about 15-20 years. Looks like a small, general-purpose instrument builder, with decent-quality examples surviving. This listing mentions an HB&R catalog in the Smithsonian's collection, and another mention of the firm as exhibiting at the 1892-3 Columbian Exposition; in each case the firm is listed as manufacturing "zithers, guitars and mandolins." If you were to contact the Smithsonian you might get some info on the contents of the HB&R catalog.

From what info Google yields, no specific examples of HB&R mandolins, but enough references to infer a small-scale instrument building shop, making good-quality instruments of various types.

[Jim Garber]

Christian Frederick Hartmann was also mentioned as nephew of CF Martin Senio and an employee and sometime partner in the CF Martin Company. I don't know if that is the same Hartmann, tho.

[brunello97]

This is a tantalizing question. Do you have any pictures of the mandolin or of the label? Posting these would be of real value to the collection of information and discussion here.

Mick

[brunello97]

This is a tantalizing question. Do you have any pictures of the mandolin or of the label? Posting these would be of real value to the collection of information and discussion here.

Mick

[allenhopkins]

The Hartmann mentioned in the old NY City business index is Alfred Hartmann. Nancy Groce's Musical Instrument Makers of New York lists the brothers here as Alfred and Rudolph Hartmann.

[Jim Garber]

Thanks, Allen. This is a maker I am not too familiar with.

[thunderfingers]

This mandolin is very ornate on the front and back . I will get some pics and post them asap however the mandolin is not with me at this time. It does have some damage to the top on one side seam and it also looks very much like the early martin bow backs. Inside the body it seems to be foiled lined with real thin copper foil. It does have two labels in very good condition however no numbers that I can see.

[Jim Garber]

I have 2 Hartmann mandolins in my files neither of which is particularly exceptional -- look like mid or lower grade ones.

[Jim Garber]

While we are waiting, here are the two I have in my files. The one with the eagle is labelled Hartmann Bros. and Reinhard.

[Baddoghouse]

Hi. Do you.still have that Hartmann bros and Rienhard bowlback? I found one google search and youre the only other owner i can find on internet