Comment by Jody Stecher on July 13, 2020 at 16:00

I think he may be a model for a shoe advert. 

Comment by Joel Hooks on July 13, 2020 at 18:18

That looks like a CE professional with a resonator (looks the same as mine, I just don't look as good holding it). 

Comment by Jody Stecher on July 13, 2020 at 19:06

Put on exceedingly shiny shoes and pull down your sleeve to display a wristwatch and you'll look as good or better. Especially if you clip the eye-threatening string on the peghead. Change the instrument to a sitar and you'll be good to go for an Indian LP album cover from the 1960s and early 70s. Ravi Shankar was bare-wristed but everyone else made sure their watches were on display. 

Comment by Trapdoor2 on July 13, 2020 at 19:34

That wristwatch probably dates this picture to after WWI. Prior to WWI only women wore "wristlet" watches. Once the Brit Army issued wristwatches to officers during the war, they became popular with men.

Comment by Jody Stecher on July 13, 2020 at 20:30

Good point. The banjo, if it *is* a CE Professional model, might date the photo as well. Were any made before WW1 ?  

Comment by Joel Hooks on July 13, 2020 at 20:54

We are missing the issues of the BMG when Professionals were introduced.  They show up sometime between 1920 and 1925.  CE did not do much in the way of promoting them like they did with their other high end banjos.

The whole CE Professional thing is weird.  They were late, made by a different builder, and use square nuts.  The heavy construction of them does not match other CE construction design styles.

I wish we could fill in that gap of BMGs, perhaps that would tell the story?

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