Featured 1894 Parlor Guitar ID Help Please

Hello, I found this guitar today… my husband looked it over and found a patent date on the hardware from March 13, 1894. He also found the patent info online. He also removed some of the parts since someone had put steel strings on it and broke it. He said they are ebony, and he said the hardware is all original to this guitar.
Our question… is there any way to tell, or does any possibly know who the maker of this guitar could be? There’s no other markings that we can see besides the patent date.
Any help and info is greatly appreciated! TIA!

 

@all_fakes may know.

 

Nice find.I'd keep looking inside the sound hole and back of the headstock for a blind stamp.There's tons of antique guitar websites-you should be able to solve this-very neat.
Even the unidentified antique parlor guitars (1890's to Pre-WWI) that are stabile (or pro-repaired/conserved) with good action and tone,seem to go for at very least$200-$300 up.
Good luck.

 

Too bad the bridge is missing - that might have helped identify it. Does not appear to be a Martin, and likely not a Washburn. Do hold it at an angle and check inside where the neck is attached, in case there is a marking there. If not, about all I can say is that many guitars if this vintage had paper labels, now missing.
It does look to be a pretty decent guitar, but in this state it is not possible to judge whether it needs major neck work. Obviously needs a bridge.
I'd date it around 1920-1950; and you might want to find a local guitar luthier who could tell you more about it, and judge what might be needed to make it playable, and whether it would be worth investing in the repairs.

 

We have the bridge, my husband removed it when he took the strings off since it was broken.

 

That's good you still have it; similar to a bridge used by Martin through the 1930s, but if a Martin, it should have a model number and serial number on the neck-block, so do look there. And by the 1930s Martin was always stamping the internal brace that is visible through the sound-hole, and marking the head-piece, so not apparently a Martin. But still a decent-quality guitar, 1920s to 30s or later - could be as recent as 50s-60s, those tuner designs were used for a long time, so I'd not think the patent date means much.

 

Bridge reference:
The Bridge to Somewhere - The Evolution of Martin Bridges (vintagemartin.com)

 

https://www.guitargal.com/products/fraulini-erma-guitar

Here's a similar one. Very similar bridge too.

 

Apparently we missed seeing this number… we don’t have the best vision. Here’s a picture of the number…

 

A serial number at a guess.

 

I see some very notable differences from the Fraulini Erma guitar, and would be very interested to see what a good luthier has to say.

 

Mmmeeeow. Appropriate avatar.