What does this say?

[shunkpenn]

Looking for someone to help identify the name and town of this maker.  I know it reads at least in part, instrument maker and Bavaria and probably a street address. Really don’t know anything past that. Thanks for the help!

[Rue]

Well, I gave it the old college try and can't even figure out the name.

Weird combo of new and old letters?

 

[Rothwein]

George Clarke

Instrumentmacher de oklA citY

number 65 - 1890 Bavaria

As straightforward as luthiery seems to get.

[Brad Dorsey]

36 minutes ago, Rothwein said:

...oklA citY...Bavaria

As straightforward as [lutherie] seems to get.

Oklahoma City, Bavaria?

[Rue]

So he spelled his name backwards...but the rest forwards?

[LCF]

2 hours ago, Rue said:

So he spelled his name backwards...but the rest forwards?

Ah. Maybe he was from airavaB?

[Ganymede Piggot]

Get a 1890 Oklahoma City phone book, and call everybody named George Clark.

[HoGo]

5 hours ago, Rue said:

So he spelled his name backwards...but the rest forwards?

Could be the same joker who inserted the "del Guesswho" label into an old German fiddle.

This George possibly just indicated origin of violin he repaired or sold with a funny label that hid more than it revealed.

[Blank face]

13 hours ago, shunkpenn said:

Looking for someone to help identify the name and town of this maker.

The real question would be IMO what does it mean (maybe nothing at all) and is it a name of a maker or just something fancy being randomly inserted into a violin from elsewhere. Without seeing the instrument in total this is impossible to answer.

[shunkpenn]

4 hours ago, Blank face said:

The real question would be IMO what does it mean (maybe nothing at all) and is it a name of a maker or just something fancy being randomly inserted into a violin from elsewhere. Without seeing the instrument in total this is impossible to answer.

Here are some photos.  The inside work is very clean. Almost looks like the linings are let into the blocks? Can we tell the age from the dust ball. Thanks again for the help.

[Stephen Fine]

https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2002995/m1/34/

 

See the story under "It's Our Move". 

[Ganymede Piggot]

^Wow LOL.  2212 NW 25th is still there too, on Google street view.

[Blank face]

2 hours ago, shunkpenn said:

Here are some photos.  The inside work is very clean. Almost looks like the linings are let into the blocks? Can we tell the age from the dust ball. Thanks again for the help.

 

1 hour ago, Stephen Fine said:

https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2002995/m1/34/

 

See the story under "It's Our Move". 

Yes, looks to me like very clean hobbyist's work. 1950's might be a good guess. He had obviously an humoristic attitude, too.

[Stephen Fine]

I guess I should write here in case the link is ever dead:

Oklahoma City Times (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 70, No. 129, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 9, 1959 Page: 34 of 63

It's a story saying that a previous story reporting that the "local hobbyist violin-maker" had moved to Europe had been in error.  In fact, he'd only moved down the street.  It describes him as having a shop selling instruments of the viol family and "rare" grandfather clocks.

[mood2000]

https://gateway.okhistory.org/iiif/ark:/67531/metadc2002995/m1/34/full/full/0/default.jpg

[shunkpenn]

8 hours ago, mood2000 said:

https://gateway.okhistory.org/iiif/ark:/67531/metadc2002995/m1/34/full/full/0/default.jpg

 

[Brad Dorsey]

18 hours ago, shunkpenn said:

...Can we tell the age from the dust ball[?]...

Yes, after Jacob explains dust-ballology.

[Ganymede Piggot]

Found another photo.  Somebody find the article where they say he moved to Europe