Item List C F Allen Read More

Item List Robert H Benary Read More

C F Allen < Back C F Allen ...of 193 Great Brinswick Street, Dublin was a successful teacher of the banjo and a promoter of local concerts from about 1890 to the turn of the century. He sold banjos bearing his name as maker but it is thought they were made for him by Barnes & Mullins. Previous Next

Item List Thomas William Bacon 1841 to 1918 Read More

Item List Riley - Baker Read More

Item List John G Abbott 1878 to 1938 Read More

Baldwin < Back Baldwin In October 1966 it was announced that the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company of Cincinnati, OH, had bought the Ode Banjo Company of Boulder, Colorado. The Ode Factory at Boulder, With Mel Placke as Plant Manager and Charles Ogsbury as consultant continue to make the banjos in three styles sold under the name of Baldwin through the companies guitar division. Pictures courtesy of Intermountain Guitar & Banjo Previous Next

Item List Ball, Beavon & Co Read More

Van Eps next maker ... see under Eps .

Roger J Ward .. 1819 to 1872 next maker Around 1840 Roger John Ward arrived in Liverpool from Dublin as a Musical Instrument Maker. Within 10 years he was married with 4 children living at 64 Albert Street, Everton. He opened a musical instrument shop in Liverpool in which he sold brass band instruments fashioned by hand. In 1870 his son Richard Joseph Ward ( b 1854 ) had aqquired the business and, with his sons, had established a flourishing shop and factory at 10 and 12 St Anne Street Liverpool. By 1905 the firm, although still advertising itself as 'Military Band Instrument Manufacturers' had added banjos and mandolins to the instruments they made and sold. Their smooth-arm banjos had ornately engraved nickel silver encased hoops, with the neck and perchpoles made of solid ebony, (rosewood) highly polished. The fingerboards were made of richly engraved nickel sliver. Some of the banjos were made with hoops as large as 16” and all were fitted with pegs of the push in type made of ivory. It is possible the banjos made by R.J.Ward and sons of Liverpool were made individually by a lone workman for your author has seen an instrument marked made for B.Chamberlain by R.J. Ward & sons Liverpool' . The example shown in the pictures is being restored but clearly the company, at some time, also opperated out of 67 Dale Street, Liverpool (as did George Jordan) Edward J Ward also ran a music business out of St Anne Street and he died in 1920. The firm closed down about 1931 but is believed they ceased making banjos some years before this date. hand note -surely 'made by B Chamberlain for R.J.Ward?

James H Waldo next maker James H Waldo and John F Barrows were operating musical manufacturing companies out of Saginaw Michigan in the last decade of the 19th C. Instruments included banjos and a full range of mandolins and the company also took patents out on their design of tailpiece. It is not clear if there was a business relationship between them but Waldo had banjos made for him by Schall , also under the model TW Reamer. Images courtesy of the estate of Richard Evans

.. was making banjos in New York City prior around the 1850's and he went to California with his banjo making friend Thomas W Bree during the boom times following the gold rush of1849. It is not known when he returned to New York but it is reported that he presented a banjo of his making as first prize at the Banjo Tournament held at the Chinese Assembly Rooms on Broadway in 1857. (However other research suggests that this banjo was supplied by Jimmie Clarke ). Charles Morrell Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker