Bidspirit auction | Mandolin & Guitar Club Group

Mandolin & Guitar Club Group Portrait - This framed silver gelatin group portrait, dating to the early 20th century (circa 1900?1915), depicts a large all-male musical ensemble consisting of approximately forty individuals. The subjects are posed in formal evening wear, including tuxedos and bow ties. They are shown with an array of period stringed instruments, including bowl-back mandolins, open-back banjos, a central parlor guitar, and a highly ornate, inlaid small guitar or ukulele held by a sitter in the front row. The photograph is mounted in a dark green paper mat and housed in a stained wood frame with a beaded inner sight edge. The lower margin of the mat contains handwritten pencil numerals ranging from 1 to 15, presumably serving as a key to identify the individuals in the front row. No maker's marks, studio stamps, or signatures are visible on the print or the frame. Frame width: 14.75 inches.