Ephemera: Going Solo

Today's shots are all of "individual performers." This lady's name is Alta and she was banging on that Chicago-made flattop box in 1931-32 per the photo's inscription. Next up...

So people actually played banjo-guitars? This 1920s performer sure had the look down.

Here's Maine/Pittsburgh photographer Charles Apgar playing his Lyon and Healy Camp Guitar. Did I ever expect to see one of these super-rare instruments in a photo? No way! Very cool. A nice toss-in is the Hoosier cabinet (like the ones my father-in-law restores) in the background.

Meet Esther Corbett... in the flower patch... in 1929... playing bowlback mandolin of the 1900s Regal persuasion.

Ring that 5-string proud! A girl in the 1890s or early 1900s.

The fancy-tie, shiny-shoes picker above was caught in 1923... presumably at the gates of his true love's house.

At first glance, this 1965 pic looks like a party...

...and then you realize he's just opened that brand-new Harmony tenor banjo for an Xmas present!