G'day from Oz
I'm making contact from Melbourne, Australia, in the hope that you might be able to help me in a long-running search.
I have a plectrum banjo, purchased from the Clifford Essex store in Earlham Street, London, in the late 60s, and made by a Victor Ellis, of London.
I've managed to discover that he lived and worked in a small house in St John's Hill, Battersea, in the early 1900s. He's listed in a business directory of the time as "Ellis, Victor   Banjo Studio".
But that's as far as I get.   The serial number on my banjo is 1804, which suggests that Victor was a prolific manufacturer.. and that a number of his "creations" are possibly out there, still being played.
I realise that the best way of tracking him down is via old newspapers of the period... but that's a tad difficult from 12,000 miles away. So all I can do is make contact with as many banjo folk as possible in the hope that the name Victor Ellis might ring a bell.
Best regards
Ian Sanderson
Melbourne