Buegeleisen & Jacobson (B&J) Victoria mandolin 1880 to 1925

The mandolin has a body crack but is in otherwise nice condition for its age.

The vintage Victoria bowl-back mandolin distributed by Buegeleisen & Jacobson (B&J), a major musical instrument distributor based in New York City. [1, 2, 3]History and OriginsThe interior label typically reads, "Guaranteed Perfect Scale Victoria Best American Make B. & J. New York."B&J did not actually manufacture instruments themselves; they were a wholesaler operating from the late 1890s through the mid-20th century. These particular "Victoria" model bowlback mandolins were produced between approximately 1880 and 1925. They were sourced from major American factories of the era, most notably Lyon & Healy or Regal. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]Construction Details

• Body Style: "Bowl-back" (also called tater-bug or Neapolitan style), constructed with individual staves or ribs of wood.
• Materials: Commonly featured an Adirondack spruce top, multi-ply geometric string binding around the edges, and a decorative faux-tortoiseshell or celluloid pickguard.
• Strings: This is a standard 8-string classical mandolin configured in four pairs of double strings.