RARE Vintage c.1897 Joseph Bohmann HISTORIC PARLOR GUITAR

Description

VERY RARE EARLY 1897  X BRACED GUITAR MADE FOR STEEL STRINGS
If this was ever played, it was treated very well and was possibly in storage for most of its life. The fret board has very little wear. The top is flat and the back has a slight curve to it, as built.
Joseph Bohmann was a well-known guitar and mandolin maker in Chicago. He, like Charles Bruno and Christian Martin came to the US from Germany and helped establish the American guitar tradition. Like Martin did - Bohmann made his guitars with an X bracing which makes it strong, rare and very unique.
It has been restored as there was an issue with the bottom (see photos), but it's all intact now and looks pretty good.
This is made of what I think is either birch or maple with an Adirondack spruce top and has something similar to a French polish on it. The back is done somewhat loosely, but it's what was done in the 1890's so it's the original finish. Many early guitar makers were also violin makers and you can get art vibe for holing this in your hands..
The guitar has a few hairline cracks here and there that have been professionally repaired and cleated. The top is flat and the neck looks pretty straight. The bridge is original. The finish is all original. When I tap front and back it all resonates and I don't see any loose braces. International inspection shows essentially a time capsule from 1897.
The ornate, original tuners are missing, but I've looked at Jake Wildwood's Bohmann guitar and he used smaller contemporary tuners and brought the guitar right to life. I figured I would leave that to the future owner, as not everyone wants their vintage guitar modified.
Very few of these appear on the market and there are not many records of them.
Bohmann used great illustrated labels that showed him, presumably, and the various medals his instruments won. It is not known what instruments or where.
The X bracing makes a strong, flat top and this top is very straight.
This is a great antique guitar for a collector of vintage instruments or a guitar player who wants a durable 1890's guitar to play in your repertoire.
Please ask any questions before bidding, or if you are interested make a fair offer. It's likely you'll not see another one of these in years.
Had the company continued it's possible they might have become as popular as Gibson, Harmony, Martin or Oscar Schmidt.
I pack very well and will ship in a box with plenty of padding. If buyer does want to put tuners on I'd suggest looking up Jake Wildwood's page on his Bohmann guitars - he has a few of them using silk & steel strings.