Mystery Banjo (?)

Comment by Bob Sayers on March 9, 2014 at 12:44pm

I had another thought this morning about the engraving that I posted last night.  The engraving is entitled “Les Bouffes americains aux Concerts de Paris” and was published in the French illustrated newspaper Le Monde Illustre in 1859.  From the title, I'm wondering now if this might be a group of French performers, sort of a 19th-century tribute band.  If that's the case, the instruments (in particular, the banjos) might simply be approximations of real banjos.   Just a thought.   

Comment by Strumelia on March 11, 2014 at 8:43am

I just saw this on Ebay- it reminds me a bit of the photo instrument, but shorter scale and maybe not as old:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261420204296

Has a gourd back and a flat wooden top with the hole.

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