ticketsMember | Make a donation

Banjo-form Mandolin called a "Bandonian"

ca. 1912
Not on view
In 1912, Brooklyn music teacher and banjo maker William De Wick was assigned a patent for his Bandonian (patent number 1018651), a round-body variation of a mandolin. By the first decade of the 20th century the mandolin had become widely popular across America, primarily through the successful marketing efforts of the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Company. At the same time, the decrease in popularity of the five-string banjo led to the introduction of other types of banjos, including the four-string tenor banjo, the banjo uke, and the banjo mandolin, which combined an eight-string mandolin neck with a banjo rim and skin membrane. Although first patented in 1882, the banjo mandolin became popular in the early 1900s because it enabled mandolin players to produce banjo-like sounds without changing their playing technique. De Wick's Bandonian is a variant of the banjo mandolin, with a wood soundboard substituting for the stretched-skin banjo head. (Peter Szego, 2020)

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Banjo-form Mandolin called a "Bandonian"
  • Maker: William H. De Wick
  • Date: ca. 1912
  • Geography: Brooklyn, New York, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: wood, various materials
  • Dimensions: Diam. 27.4 x L. 58.5 cm (10 13/16 x 23 1/16 in.)
  • Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Wolfson, 1978
  • Object Number: 1978.274
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Ūd, Toufighe Jahromi American, Wood, metal and nylon strings, celluloid, American
Ūd
Toufighe Jahromi
ca. 1928
Mandolin, John Monteleone American, Bavarian spruce, red maple, Italian-American
Mandolin
John Monteleone
1996
Archtop Mandolin, James D'Aquisto American, Spruce, maple, ebony, celluloid, mother-of-pearl, American
Archtop Mandolin
James D'Aquisto
1971
Mandolin, Angelo Mannello American, born Italy, Spruce, maple, tortoiseshell, ivory, mother-of-pearl, metal, American
Mandolin
Angelo Mannello
1900
Archtop Guitar, James D'Aquisto American, Maple, macassar ebony, iron, brass, American
Archtop Guitar
James D'Aquisto
1983

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.