Lyon & Healy “Professional” 5-string banjo, Circa 1897
In their 1897 catalog, Lyon & Healy’s Washburn and Professional banjos were similar in design and construction, though only the higher-grade Washburn banjos had the elegant three-piece “Imperial” brackets. Notice the similarity of the inlays on this banjo to those on the Washburn banjo in my collection also produced around 1897. With the carved heel and the nice inlay work, this banjo was at the top of the L&H Professional line, and had a list price of $41.63
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