Fairbanks & Cole Banjo

Boat heel. Serial #: 774. Roman style veneer border. Very early Fairbanks. Parts of veneer missing. Length: 92cm.

Albert Conant Fairbanks was born in 1852 in Sterling, Massachusetts. He was a banjo player with a desire to build his own instruments. In 1875 he started by building simple inexpensive 5-string banjos and within 5 years he was living in Chelsea, Suffolk, Massachusetts and had established himself as a credible luthier. William A. Cole was born in Vermont in 1854. He and his brother Frank Cole became interested in music and teaching. The banjo was the their instrument of choice. At some point William met Albert Fairbanks and discovered their common interests. In 1880, sometime after meeing Albert Fairbanks and discovering their common interests, they joined forces to form the Fairbanks and Cole Company. The object of the exercise was to build banjos, and their partnership would last 10 years. (1880-1890)

The Meisel Collection. This instrument is being sold from The Meisel Collection assembled over a period of forty years by an accomplished attorney from Princeton, New Jersey. The owner traveled the world in search of rare, interesting, and handsome instruments to fill a collection that until now was displayed in his beautiful Princeton home.

Please note: The items in the Meisel Collection are being sold F.O.B. Princeton, New Jersey. The recommended shipper is the U.P.S. Store, 174 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542 which has extensive experience shipping fragile auction items. The Store can be emailed at store2026@theupsstore.com or called at 609-924-0759. The auction house makes no commission on shipping; payment for shipping is made by the buyer directly to the shipper. Although buyers are free to use any shipper they choose, we have found this shipper to be fair and reliable. For those wishing to pick up their Meisel purchases in Princeton: once you have paid for your purchase(s), we will advise you of when and where in Princeton you will be able to schedule an appointment to pick-up your lot(s). Please be aware that auction Lots 800 and up are not in Princeton but, with the exception of a handful of items, these lots are with Guernsey's in New York City.

Condition: More detailed condition reports and additional photographs are available by request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in very fine condition. Please message us through the online bidding platform or email Guernsey's at auctions@guernseys.com to request a more thorough condition report.