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Horace Weston
That is likely the first banjo Stewart made for him. I know he was a stroke player, but look at the stain near the bridge. That is a guitar style stain.
I want credit for finding these and bringing them to the right people.
Views: 183
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Comment by thereallyniceman on November 1, 2012 at 9:36
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Hi Joel, It is good to see that you are still around. Good find! These University Libraries, not just the American ones either, do have some great treasures. I have found much public domain music on their websites. Often though the tricky bit is locating the interesting items from the rest!
Thank you for posting.
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Comment by Trapdoor2 on November 1, 2012 at 13:34
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How much credit do you want, Joel? I have $25...
;-)
These pix are very, very cool. Glad you're out there looking!
That banjo doesn't look like any Stewart I've ever seen. Looks much more like your early NY school banjo (Clarke? Farnham?). Stewart's earliest production banjos had a peanut-shaped peghead, I believe.
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Comment by Joel Hooks on November 1, 2012 at 15:36
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That photo was a publicity giveaway for SSS. It would have been taken around 1879-1880. It could ba a clarke. I have a hunch that the very first banjos (like the first half dozen or so) Stewart made were Clarke copies. Weston's was custom.
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No doubt Stewart copied initially, I wonder if any of the very early SSS banjos (pre-1880) survive? I have seen one or two of the "peanut head" variety and they are usually dated in the 1880's.
I have always thought that the woodcut from this photo was a "missed marketing opportunity" for Stewart to have one of his banjos made the 'star'. He could have at least had "S.S. Stewart" written on the banjo head...
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