J. H. Buckbee (Waldorf?) 5-string banjo Circa 1895
The nameplate on this banjo is missing, but a similar banjo recently surfaced on Ebay with a "Waldorf" tag on it. Most fancy banjos have ebony fingerboards inlayed with fancy pearl designs, but this flashy banjo has a pearl fingerboard inlayed with ebony designs almost as if it were a negative of the usual format. This banjo also has a rim that is spunover with metal on both the inside and out. The metal and pearl peghead inlay is also quite nice.