It was the slack key style that pre-dates slide playing in Hawaii, not this guitar.
It does look to be a late thirties style, though it could be as late as the fifties, as you say.
But it is certainly not set up for slide playing- though that does not mean that nobody tried!
I see many postings on Hawaiian guitar fora bemoaning the near extinction of slide Hawaiian guitar on Hawaii itself. Slack key does seem to be having a revival there at the moment.
The two camps are nearly as friendly to each other as the Trad and Modern folkies are!
Cheers
Dave
Cheers
Dave