Al V. Mertes violin

My daughter just moved up to a 3/4 violin, and the instrument she chose is an old one labeled "Al V. Mertes, Cinicinnati". My search for this maker only turned up a post on this forum, where a similar inquiry was answered by an Ed Mertes, grandson of the builder. Ed, if you're out there, I'd love to hear from you. It's a wonderful violin.

Regards,
Terry Anderson