GUARINI.—VideMennesson.GUARNERI.—Cremona, Mantua, Venice; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The founder of this celebrated family wasAndrea, born 1626 in Cremona; died there in December, 1698. An undoubted pupil of Niccolò Amati, by whom he was employed as late as 1653; he was at first a close imitator of his master. Later he altered the style of his work somewhat. It is stated in many books that he was fellow-workman with Stradivari, by whose style he became influenced. Dates certainly do not tend to confirm the statement. Stradivari was not born until 1644, and even if he was employed by Amati while Andrea Guarneri was in that maker’s workshop, there are instruments by Andrea in existence which were made before Stradivari could possibly be of an age to exert any influence, and which exhibit modifications in the pattern, form of sound-holes, and arching, showing clearly enough that the maker had begun to work on lines of his own. Occasionally, Andrea adopted the “Grand pattern” of Amati, and it is probable he assisted in the makingof some of the violins of that type. One very beautiful violin, bearing his own label, is known to the writer, which might well pass for a Grand Amati. The sides of Andrea’s heads are usually more deeply grooved than those of Amati. Very few violas or violoncellos seem to be known. Messrs. Hill state that they have met with one of the latter of smaller dimensions than the usual violoncello of the period, but that other examples had been cut down from their original size.Joseph Guarneri, son ofAndrea, was born in November, 1666, and appears to have been alive in 1738, but the date of death has not been ascertained. He worked for some time with his father. The beauty of the varnish on many of his violins has not been surpassed by any other maker. Some of his backs show a broad curl, others have wood of smaller figure, but considerable beauty. The pattern of his violins varies considerably, as also the amount of arching in the plates, which is commonly flatter in late than early specimens. Some examples show a long and somewhat stiff curve in the waist, or middle bouts; in others the curve is more pronounced, and resembles that seen in the instruments of his celebrated relative, Del Gesù. In the heads also a resemblance may now and then be traced, and the peg-box is somewhat cut in at the throat. The fiddles are usually about 137/8inches long. The sound-holes set a trifle lower and nearer the edge of the instrument than is usual, and in certain examples the form of the sound-holes is very slightly pointed at the ends. This form is not seen in earlier specimens. His violas and violoncellos are scarce. A few fine examples of the latter are recognised.Pietro Giovanni Guarneri(“Peter of Mantua”), the eldest son of Andrea, was born in Cremona in February, 1655. Date of death notascertained. He also employed most beautiful varnish of a deep orange, or red orange tint, and has left some charming examples of his work. The general style of his instruments belongs to the Amati school. Arching usually somewhat full, very fine scrolls, and sound-holes which are set almost perpendicularly, and very decidedly arched at their upper and lower turns. The fiddles usually of medium size, but larger examples are occasionally met with. A very fine violin dated 1686, with ornamental purfling, is figured by von Lütgendorff. The date when he went to Mantua does not seem to be known, and the writer is unable to find any satisfactory proof that he worked also in Venice, as has been frequently stated.Pietro Guarneri II.(“Peter of Venice”) was a son of Joseph, son of Andrea. He was born in Cremona in April, 1695, and appears to have worked in Venice until after 1760. In his labels, which have an ornamental border, he calls himself son of Joseph. He is stated to have worked for some time with his uncle, Peter of Mantua, in that city. The writer is not well acquainted with his instruments.Giuseppe Guarneri(“Joseph, del Gesù”) was born at Cremona in October, 1687. Date and place of death are unknown. The latest date seen in a violin is 1745. The correct birth date was ascertained by an Italian writer (de Piccolellis), and first published in 1886, notwithstanding which several subsequent writers have persisted in stating that the event took place in 1683, the date formerly supposed to be correct (on the authority of J. B. Vuillaume). According to Hart, whose view is generally followed by the best modern authorities, del Gesù’s probable instructor was his relative, Joseph, son of Andrea, and there are features in some of his work which certainlysupport this theory. The earliest date found in his admittedly genuine violins is said to be 1723. In that year he would be at least thirty-six years old, and no very satisfactory explanation of the absence of authentic specimens of earlier date seems to be forthcoming, unless we suppose that he did not begin to follow the art in which he was so conspicuously successful until pretty mature manhood. Horace Petherick, in 1906, published a book (illustrated) in which he claimed to have discovered that del Gesù’s master was Andrea Gisalberti of Parma (q.v.), a little-known maker of no great account. However, neither Mr. Petherick’s arguments, nor the examples by which he strove to support them, were seriously accepted by most judges of the first rank, and the difficulty may be said to be still unsolved. Neither violas nor violoncellos which can unhesitatingly be accepted as the work of del Gesù have come to light. Instruments of both types have from time to time been put forward as authentic, but have been rejected as spurious by all the best-informed authorities.Much misapprehension—some at least of which may be traced to general and loosely worded descriptions in books—has existed in regard to the size of del Gesù’s larger violins. His more massive looking instruments give the impression of being of greater size than is found on careful measurement to be really the case. The widths are full, but the bodies measure only 137/8inches, or a minute fraction over, in length, and, so far as the writer is aware, no properly verified exception to this rule has as yet appeared. A number of his earlier works are only 13¾ inches long, but nevertheless possess a volume of tone which is astonishing, considering the relatively small size of the instrument. It has been customary to classify his worksinto distinct types, varying with the period of their production. Though in the main a convenient system, the dates found in his violins do not by any means always square with it. Two illustrations of this will suffice. The “Hart” Joseph, now owned by the great artist Kreisler, is of the bold massive build which he is supposed to have adopted not earlier than 1740; but it dates, according to the label, from the year 1737. Paganini’s famous instrument (now in the museum at Genoa) is dated 1743, and the splendid example known as the “Le Duc” was made in 1745. Neither of these instruments exhibits the exceptional finish and elegance of form which may be seen in a few examples made between about 1734-38, yet each is a remarkable work of art, though dating from a period when his handiwork has been said to betray a lamentable falling off in design, workmanship, and varnish. There is no doubt that del Gesù did occasionally produce instruments which in some features, such as the form of the sound-holes, are uncompromisingly ugly; but, in the writer’s view, there are not sufficient data to assign these specimens to any particular period of his working life. His handsomest and most exquisitely finished violins seem to have been made approximately between the dates above stated, 1734-38. Instruments of this class are rare, but will in every way bear comparison with those of Stradivari. Three notable fiddles of this type may be mentioned: the D’Egville, dated 1735; the “King” Joseph (now in America), and the “Gillott,” both dated 1737. These, with perhaps a dozen others, are reckoned amongst connoisseurs as the most finely formed and finished specimens of this great master’s work. In early examples a distinct resemblance to the works of his cousin, Joseph, son of Andrea, istraceable, and instruments now properly assigned to that maker have pretty frequently been labelled and passed as the work of Del Gesù. The sound-holes of his violins exhibit much diversity of treatment both in the form and the angle at which they are placed, and it is evident that in the cutting of them he rarely had recourse to patterns, or templates. It is generally supposed that he revived the “pointed” form associated with the school of Brescia. In many cases there is little or no suspicion of a “point” visible, and in no case known to the writer is the peculiarity accentuated to the absurd extent exhibited in swarms of copies which may be met with. His arching varies considerably, but the rise of the plates from the edges to the centre is usually gradual. In the outline of his more robust type of instrument there is a resemblance to the violins of Maggini, but that maker’s large dimensions—his ordinary fiddle is about 14¼ to 14½ inches long—are never approached by del Gesù. His varnish is almost always of fine quality and Cremonese type. There are probably more yellow specimens to be seen than those of deeper shade, but on the latter its colouring and texture are admirable. Swarms of makers of all nationalities have imitated, or attempted to imitate, him; but the truth, as shown by experience, is that del Gesù’s work is very difficult to imitate successfully; far more so than that of Stradivari and many other noted makers. His eccentricities have been travestied to an extent which betrays the hand of the forger to all but the most inexperienced. The cutting of the scroll is nearly always a stumbling block, and perhaps ninety-nine out of every hundred copies are too big. This latter observation will generally be found to apply to the wonderfully clever imitations made by JohnFrederick Lott in the last century, a goodly number of which are still accepted as authentic “Josephs” by the uninitiated. In recent years he has been imitated (so far at least as external appearances go) with remarkable exactness, by a maker named Voller, whose skilful “facsimiles” of various classic makers at first puzzled numbers of observers by no means ill-acquainted with the characteristics of genuine Italian work. Amongst French copyists, J. B. Vuillaume, Pierre Silvestre, Remy, and Georges Chanot I., may be mentioned; but their instruments, though reproducing with more or less fidelity the form and peculiarities of del Gesù, are in the great majority of cases of larger dimensions than the originals. Italy has produced a number of followers, but, until quite recently, none seem to have succeeded in producing violins which by any stretch of imagination could be described as exact copies. Storioni and Carlo Bergonzi, and occasionally Testore, made fiddles which for years were accepted by the multitude as genuine “Josephs,” but nowadays few if any of them would pass as such amongst judges of any experience. As may be supposed, the number of this celebrated maker’s authentic works is very much less than that of Stradivari, whose labels date from about 1665-6 to 1737, the year of his death. It is much to be deplored that the repeated attempts to obtain reliable details of del Gesù’s life story have produced such meagre and disappointing results, but the prospect of fresh information coming to light seems to be remote.GUERSAN,Louis.—Paris; eighteenth century to about 1770. Worked first with Claude Pierray. There are some good violins and other instruments bearing his name. His personal work, though by nomeans scarce, is not so plentiful as is sometimes supposed. He came of a family of makers, and his pattern and style were followed by other makers. Red or yellow varnish, sometimes handsome and brilliant. Sound-holes not very wide open. Heads cleanly cut. The arching varies a good deal. Pattern looks rather narrow; probably more so than it actually is. He used a variety of labels, one having a shield bearing his name.GÜTTER. A whole tribe of makers of this name worked in Markneukirchen and elsewhere in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Upwards of a score of them are mentioned by the German writer, von Lütgendorff.GUGGEMOS,Marcus.—Füssen; eighteenth century. High built fiddles with brown varnish, and ornamental labels. Füssen has produced makers whose style and varnish are not unlike Italian, but Guggemos can hardly be reckoned amongst them.GUGLIELMI,Gio. Battista.—Cremona; eighteenth century. Little known.GUIDANTUS.SeeFloreno.GUSETTO,Niccolò.—Cremona; eighteenth century. A Florentine of no particular merit as a maker. Instruments usually high built and German in style.GUTERMANN,Wilhelm Theodor.—Vienna. Died in 1900. A good workman. Made some curious shaped violins on a pattern designed by a Dr. Liharzik.HAASE,Ferdinand.—Magdeburg, Dessau. Died 1892. Was a flute player who turned his attention to fiddle making, but apparently with indifferent success, his instruments being too thin in the plates.HAENSEL,Johann Anton.—Rocksburg; about 1800.HAFF,Joseph Anton.—Augsburg; nineteenth century. Died 1866. A son of the same name died in Stuttgart in 1902, and was a clever workman. He worked for some time in Munich and obtained medals.HAKKERT,Jacob Wolfgang.—Rotterdam; contemporary. A workman of ability, who makes good copies of the Italian masters.HAMBERGER.—Vienna, Presburg; nineteenth century. A family of makers who made some good violins, chiefly of Stradivari pattern.HAMM.—Markneukirchen and Vilingenthal; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were several workmen of this name, the best known of whom, Johann Gottfried, worked for some time in Rome. Instruments of Stainer pattern, but broader, and frequently with ivory edges. Initials branded inside. He died in 1817.HAMMA & CO.—Stuttgart; contemporary. A well-known firm of dealers and repairers.HAMMIG.—A family originating in Markneukirchen, and dating back to about the middle of the eighteenth century. There have been several of the name working and dealing in instruments in various parts of Germany besides Markneukirchen (Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin), and the Berlin house, still carried on, is well known on the Continent.HARBOUR,Jacob.—London; about 1760-90.HARDIE.—Edinburgh; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Perhaps the best known family amongst the Scottish makers. The most celebrated member wasMatthew, born Edinburgh in 1755, died 1826. His best work is very well finished. He copied the patterns of various Italian makers, but chiefly Stradivari and Amati. The tone of many of his violins is excellent. His varnish, according to examples seen by the writer, was not of the best. There were two James Hardies, of whom the second, born 1836, was the founder of the present Edinburgh firm of James Hardie and Son. He has produced an enormous number of instruments, many of which are somewhat on the lines of Maggini. Other makers of the name werePeter, who died at Dunkeld in 1863, and branded his work with his name; andThomas, a son of Matthew, who could turn out good work when he chose; he died in 1856.HARE,John.—London; eighteenth century, first half. Unquestionably one of the best of the old English makers. He shares with a contemporary (Daniel Parker) the merit of having been the earliest of the English school to turn serious attention to the pattern of Stradivari. His instruments are of large proportions, flat arching, and good finish, the heads being the weakest feature of the design. He used an excellent red varnish of considerable brilliance, and it is to be regretted that his work is so scarce. The tone also is exceptionally good and resonant in a well-preserved example. Opinions seem still to be divided as to whetherJoseph Hare, mentioned in most books on the violin, was or was not identical with John. The latter was for some time associated in businesswith an individual named Freeman, of whom nothing else seems to be known. He worked near the Royal Exchange.HARMAND, L.—Mirecourt; eighteenth century. Medium sized fiddles, with reddish varnish. Stamped “Au Roi David. L. Harmand.”HARRIS,Charles.—Oxford, London. Worked until about 1800. His work is rarely labelled, and is little known, except to a few of the dealers. An excellent maker, whose fiddles and basses (particularly the latter) are deservedly in high repute. The pattern is generally that of Stradivari; Amati copies do not so frequently occur. Harris is noted amongst other things for his varnish of a warm red tint. A son of the same name worked in Oxford and London, and was for a time employed by John Hart.HART.—A name familiar to violinists the world over. The firm of Hart and Son was established in Lower Wardour Street (formerly Princes Street, Leicester Square) byJohn Thomas Hart, who died in 1874. He was apprenticed to Samuel Gilkes, but made few instruments. John Hart and Georges Chanot I., of Paris, were in their day the most renowned judges of fiddles in Europe, and the former was instrumental in forming some of the most notable collections of violins that have ever been brought together.George Hart I., his son, who died in 1891, was also a judge of the highest eminence, but will always be remembered as the author of “The Violin, its Famous Makers and their Imitators,” which is recognised as the standard English work of reference. It passed through various editions in the author’s lifetime, and a further edition, with certainadditions and emendations by his son and the present writer, was issued in 1909.George Hart II., son of the former, is the present head of the firm, and is a judge of wide experience of violins and violoncellos of the highest class.HASSERT,Johannes George Christian.—Eisenach and Rudolstadt; eighteenth century. Instruments rarely seen in this country, but according to continental writers they are of good form, Italian style, and moderate arching. He worked until about 1775. A son,Johann Christian, worked at Rudolstadt, and died there in 1823.HAUDEK,Carl.—Vienna; contemporary. Succeeded to business of Lemböck. He has obtained medals, but appears to have made few instruments; well known as a restorer.HÄUSSLER,Gustave.—Cracow; contemporary. A maker who has obtained medals for his instruments in Cracow and Lemberg. Stradivari pattern.HAVELKA,Johann Baptist.—Linz; eighteenth century.HEBERLEIN.—A family of makers originating in Markneukirchen, and ranging in date from the early eighteenth century to the present time. Some fifteen or sixteen makers of the name are enumerated. The best known of these isHeinrich Theodore, who died in 1910, and was a first-class workman.HEESOM,Edward.—London; eighteenth century. Work very scarce and little known. Stainer pattern.HEINEL,Oskar Bernhard.—Markneukirchen;contemporary. A clever workman in various styles, including “modern antiques.”HEL,Pierre Joseph.—Lille. Born 1842. Instruments of his workmanship are excellent in every detail. Form, material, and varnish are all most praiseworthy, and he occupies a prominent place amongst makers of modern times. He obtained several medals. Instruments of an inferior grade, but not of his own workmanship, are of the “trade class,” and of no particular account, although occasionally sold as genuine. They bear, or should bear, a distinctive label. The business is now carried on by a son (Pierre), who is well known as a dealer.HELD,Johann Joseph.—Enskirchen, Beuel. Died 1904. A clever workman, who obtained several medals, and seems to have had some theories of his own, one of which was impregnating the wood of his instruments. He was patronised by Ole Bull.HELLMER.—Several makers of the name worked in Prague in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The family is supposed to have come from Füssen. In this country the best known isKarl Joseph, who died in 1811, and was a pupil of Eberle. There seem to be a good many spurious labels about containing the device used by him, a lion holding an instrument of the lute species. Red-brown varnish, careful finish, and medium arching. The general characteristics of his work belong to the German school. His father,Johann Georg, who died in Prague in 1770, made high-built fiddles of the Kloz type.HENOCQ.—Paris; eighteenth century. Two makers of the name worked in Paris.HENRY.—Paris; nineteenth century. A family of makers of good repute. Amongst them may be mentionedCharles, who died in 1859, and was a prolific workman, who has left many useful instruments. He obtained medals. A son,Eugene, also a medallist, died in 1892.HENRY, J.—Paris. Died 1870. An excellent bow-maker. Worked for some time with Dominique Peccatte.HERZLIEB,Franz.—Gratz. Died 1861. A clever copyist. Handsome wood, yellow-brown varnish.HILL.—A well-known family of fiddle-makers and dealers, whose connection with stringed instruments dates back to the seventeenth century. Some of the earlier members were makers of much ability. Amongst them may be mentionedJoseph Hill II., son of another maker of the same Christian name; this maker died in 1784, and first worked with Banks and Peter Wamsley. His copies of Amati violins, though not scrupulously exact, have frequently passed as originals, and some are thoroughly good instruments. His violoncellos are also in high esteem amongst players. Two other Josephs were also makers, and seem to have worked both on their own account, and for the trade. There were twoLockey Hills, the second of whom, namedHenry Lockey, was employed by John Betts. The writer has met with some beautiful examples of his instruments, the style and finish of which were most praiseworthy, and the pattern that of Stradivari. The present widely known firm ofW. E. Hill & Sonswas established in Wardour Street byWilliam Ebsworth Hill, and is now located in Bond Street, London. W. E. Hill died in1895. Though a skilful workman he made few new instruments, and devoted his attention chiefly to repairing and dealing in old violins. The active members of the present firm areArthur Frederick, born in 1860, andAlfred Ebsworth, born in 1862. As a judge of old fiddles and basses the latter holds a foremost place. The firm has published monographs on various notable instruments, and the work on Antonio Stradivari is the most exhaustive account of that maker and his work which has been published.HJORTH.—Copenhagen. A family of makers established in Copenhagen since about the end of the eighteenth century. The founder wasAndrea, who died there in 1834, and copied the pattern of Amati. His instruments are branded“A. H. H.” Emil Hjorth, born 1840, and his sonOttocarry on the business, and have made good copies. The former at one time worked with Bernardel in Paris.HÖRLEIN,Karl Adam.—Kitzingen, Würzburg. Died 1902. Pupil of Lemböck, in Vienna. In later years imported fiddles from Markneukirchen, which he varnished and finished personally.HOFFMANN.—Numerous makers of the name worked in different parts of Germany. One of the best known isMartin Hoffmann, who worked in Leipzig until about 1725. A son,Johann Christian, was at work there until about 1750.HOFMANN,Anton.—Vienna. Died 1871. Carried on a large business as a maker and repairer in Vienna, and dealt with Tarisio.HOFMANS,Matthias.—Antwerp; 1700-50. Good work, and excellent varnish of Italian character and appearance.HOMOLKA.—There were nearly a dozen makers of the name in Prague and elsewhere (one in Vienna). The best known wasFerdinand August Vincenz, who died in 1890, and was a clever copyist of Italian masters, including Peter Guarneri of Mantua. Others of the family are:Emmanuel Adam, died 1849 in Prague; andEdward Emmanuel, born 1860. The latter is a good maker, and judge of old instruments.HOPF.—A large number of makers of this name have operated in Klingenthal, Markneukirchen, and elsewhere in Germany for generations. Some were tolerable workmen; others most indifferent. Most of them used to brand their work, and the name Hopf may be seen branded on productions of the very commonest class, which are hardly fit to be described as violins.HORNSTEINER.—The family name of a small army of Mittenwald fiddle-makers who have been at work for several generations. Several bore the same Christian name, and space prohibits any attempt to describe or discriminate between their works. Matthias II. and Joseph II., who worked down to about the first decade of the nineteenth century, are amongst the best of this numerous tribe.HOYER.—A Klingenthal family of makers dating from the eighteenth century to very recent times. Von Lütgendörff enumerates nearly forty workmen of this name.HUEL,Henri.—Paris; to about 1780. Little known; used a large label.HULINZKY,Thomas Andreas.—Prague. Died 1788. A pupil of Eberle, and a careful workman.Used a ticket bearing a device similar to that of Hellmer.HULSKAMP.—A Westphalian who migrated to New York. He exhibited a “freak fiddle” with a round hole in the belly instead of the usual sound-holes in London in 1862.HUNGER,Christoph Friedrich.—Leipzig. Died 1787. A maker whose instruments are highly thought of in Germany. His father, who worked in Borstendorff, was also a violin maker.HUREL,Jean.—Paris. Court maker about the end of the eighteenth century.HUSSON.—Nineteenth century. A Mirecourt family of makers, one of whom, Charles, worked with Gand and Bernardel and was noted for his bows, some of which are stamped with his name.JACOBS,Hendrik.—Amsterdam; late seventeenth century to about 1735. The most important maker of the Dutch school. Legend has been busy with his name, and according to the story, he worked with Niccolò Amati, and married his daughter. To make matters complete he should have succeeded to the business, but tradition stops short of this denouement. There seems to be nothing like direct evidence that he had any Italian training. He frequently imitated Amati with considerable exactness, and employed wood resembling that used by the Cremona maker; he also used a fine quality of varnish, usually red-brown in colour. His violins vary in size, but many of them are built more or less on the lines of the grand Amati. The scrolls are generally somewhat mean looking, and narrow, when viewed fromthe front; but the writer has seen exceptions where he was more successful with this feature. Sound-holes vary in form, some being of Amatese cut, and others hinting of the school of Stainer. His instruments are not so rare as is frequently supposed, the fact being that many of them still figure either as the work of Amati or of other Italian makers. One such, in the possession of a well-known French professor, recently came under the writer’s notice, and had been confidently declared to be an early example of Stradivari. Jacobs used whalebone purfling, which in some cases has been removed, and wooden purfling inserted by other hands. Whether he personally inserted Amati tickets into his instruments, as some Italians did, is not clear. The tone of a well-preserved example is usually excellent. The name seems to have been at first “Jacobsz,” the final “z” being dropped in the labels usually seen. The older books speak of a Peeter Jacobs, who, if he ever existed, apparently cannot now be traced. Vidal supposes that he was really identical with Pieter Rombouts, another Amsterdam maker contemporary with Jacobs, and supposed to have worked with him.JACOT,Jean Charles.—Metz. Died 1887. Made some well-made instruments; a son was established in Paris.JACQUOT.—Nineteenth century; Nancy, Paris. A well-known family of makers. The founder wasCharles, born at Mirecourt 1804, died 1880, near Paris. Worked with “didier” Nicolas, and later with Breton. Was first established at Nancy, went to Paris in 1854 and there produced his best work. An excellent workman, and a good judge of old instruments. He received numerous medals.Pierre Charles, born 1828, was his son, and took over the business in Nancy. He died there in 1895, and also received medals. Well-finished work, usually of Stradivari pattern. Two of his sons,Etienne Charles Albert, born 1853, andJules Victor, born 1855, have carried on the business.JAEGER.—Markneukirchen. Makers of the name have been at work from early in the eighteenth century down to very recent times.JAIS.—Mittenwald, Botzen; eighteenth century. There were several makers of the name. Some of their instruments have a fine red or yellow-brown varnish of Italian character, and the build and general style of the work is not unlike that of Albani.Joannes Jaisseems to have worked in Botzen until after 1780. Good work, label with an ornamental border.Andreas Jaisworked in Mittenwald and Tölz down to about 1750. Made a good many instruments of high build and frequently with well-carved lion-heads. A son named Johannes died in Tölz in 1762.Anton, apparently a grandson, was at work until after 1830. Pretty wood and good varnish.JAUCH,Andreas.—Dresden;circa1749-80. Work rarely seen in this country, but is said to be of Italian character. The family name seems to have been “Jauck” and to have originated in Gratz—other makers of the name worked there.JAURA.—Vienna; nineteenth century. A family of makers. The present maker,Wilhelm Thomas, was born in 1863, and is known as a skilful copyist and repairer.JAY,Henry.—London; latter half of eighteenth century. Worked for Longman and Broderip, for whom he made violoncellos. Was also a noted maker of kits.Thomas Jay, his father, worked in the earlier half of the century. Little known.JEANDEL,Pierre Napoleon.—Rouen; 1812-79. Red fiddles of good pattern and workmanship. Obtained several medals.JOHNSON,John.—London;circa1750. Stainer pattern, mediocre workmanship. Examples scarce. He had a music shop in Cheapside.JOMBAR,Paul.—Paris; contemporary. Well-made fiddles of the modern French type. He was apprenticed to Audinot.JORIO,Vincenzo.—Naples;circa1850. Ornamental label, printed on yellow paper. Rather large pattern. Work well finished but seemingly scarce.KABINGEN,Jacob.—Budapest;circa1855. Seems to have been a superior workman and to have migrated to Russia.KÄMBL,Johann Andreas.—Munich. Died 1781. Apparently a maker of repute. Writer is unacquainted with his work.KARNER,Bartholomäus.—Mittenwald; eighteenth century. Fairly well made instruments. Brown varnish. Label with ornamental border.KARNER,Johann Georg.—Enns; about 1825. Instruments branded “I. K.” in addition to bordered label. Mediocre work; wood frequently worm-eaten.KEFFER.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.There appear to have been several German makers of the name, working chiefly in Goisern. Instruments labelled, also branded “J. K.”KEMPTER,Andreas.—Dillingen. Died 1786. High built. Stainer pattern; sometimes with lion heads. He seems also to have made instruments of flatter arching.KENNEDY.—London; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A well-known family of Scottish origin.Alexander, the founder, died in London in 1785. Neat work. Stainer pattern. A nephew,John, worked chiefly for the trade and died in 1816. The best known maker wasThomas, the son of John, born 1784, died 1870. He also worked for the trade, but made a very large number of instruments on his own account, including numerous violoncellos. His personal work, when he chose to do his best, was of good pattern, and very neatly finished, but he evidently made instruments of different classes, and the poorer examples are of little worth.KESSLER.—Markneukirchen. A very numerous family of German makers dating from about 1700 to the present time. They came from Markneukirchen, but some have settled in different German towns. The more recent members have manufactured on a considerable scale.KITTEL,Nicholas.—St. Petersburg; to about 1870. Work scarce. He is best known as a bow-maker, and has produced excellent bows, stamped with his name.KLEMM.—Markneukirchen. There were several workmen of the name in the eighteenth century.KLEYMAN,Cornelis(also spelt Kleynman).—Amsterdam; seventeenth century. A little known copyist of Amati.KLOZ.—Mittenwald; seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. A very numerous and important family of makers, and the real founders of the enormous business in violin making which has been carried on in and around Mittenwald since their time. About a score or more of makers of the name have been enumerated, and, as many of them bore the same Christian name, there has been much confusion as to their identity. About half a dozen of the number are tolerably well known and distinguished by judges in this country. For the rest, it is doubtful if even amongst their own countrymen any one is living who can claim any very exact knowledge of their individual work. The earlier workmen made more or less accurate copies of the instruments of Stainer, and in some cases there is little doubt that they labelled and sold their work as his, even during his lifetime. Some of the later Klozs altered the pattern of their violins and evidently based their designs upon Italian work, but none of them really succeeded in producing specimens possessing the true Italian style, although some of these have passed current as Cremonese amongst the unlearned in such matters. Most of them made their fiddles in two or more grades, the better of which, in certain cases, are well finished and possess a yellow or red-brown varnish of considerable brilliancy, and quality akin to that of Italy; but the bulk of the Kloz fiddles and basses are covered with the poor, meagre-looking stuff known as “glue varnish.” In numbers of cases the varnish on their work has become almost black. Of theindividual members of the family,Matthias I.(1656-1743) made fiddles of Stainer character and occasionally covered with varnish which gives some colour to the story that he travelled in Italy and acquired experience of Italian methods of varnishing.Egidius Kloz I.worked until 1711, and his instruments are good and fairly valuable.Egidius II.died in 1805, and was a neat workman, but rarely used decent varnish. His violins are fairly common in this country.Johann Carlwas one of the best of the tribe; model fairly flat; good red-brown varnish, and some general resemblance to Italian style in the work. He died in 1790. There were two makers namedGeorge, the second of whom died in 1797, and produced some highly finished work with brilliant varnish, but of Stainer model. Of the threeJosephs, the latest, who was alive in 1798, seems to have adopted a type of fiddle which has since been extensively imitated and has an outline of more Amati appearance than that of his predecessors.Sebastian I.was a son of the first Matthias, and is usually reckoned the best maker of the family; he worked until about 1750, and produced good-sized fiddles, the best of which have handsome wood and flatter arching than those of his father; but Stainer traditions were evidently deeply implanted in him, and he never entirely discarded them. Several of the family adopted lion-heads with more or less frequency. Those of the first George are very well carved. Kloz scrolls are not artistic, though they are distinctive enough. Genuine Kloz fiddles of one grade or another are plentiful enough, but the celebrity at one time attaching to the name has led to numberless forgeries, many of which figure in pawnshops, and bear little or no resemblance to the originals.KNILLING.—Mittenwald; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were well over a dozen makers of this name.KNITL,Joseph.—Mittenwald; to about 1790. Stainer model. Another Knitl, named Franz, said to be a son, worked in Freising, dying there in 1791.KNOPF.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A Markneukirchen family settled in various parts of Germany and elsewhere. One of them,Henry Richard, worked with Bausch in Dresden and was recently at work in New York.KÖGL,Hanns.—Vienna; about 1670. Said to have been born in Füssen. Imitated Brescian work.KOLDITZ.—There were two or three makers of the name, one of whom,Matthias Johann, worked in Munich until about 1760.KOLIKER,Jean Gabriel.—Paris; to about 1810. Chiefly known as a repairer, but is reputed to have made certain modern antiques of nondescript appearance.KRETZCHMANN.—Markneukirchen; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A very numerous family. In some of their instruments the maker’s initials are branded in the place usually occupied by the label.KREUZINGER.—The name of a Schönbach family of makers in the nineteenth century.Anton, born 1873, is highly spoken of as a good copyist.Joseph, born 1871, is reckoned a good workman, but seems latterly to have manufactured on a large scale.KRIGGE,Heinrich.—Danzig;circa1750Large fiddles, double purfled after the manner of Maggini.KRINER.—Mittenwald; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A large family which includes one or two high-class workmen. Amongst them may be mentionedSimon Kriner, who died in 1821, and was a clever copyist of Italian work. He travelled with his productions and occasionally came to England.KULIK,Johannes.—Prague. Died 1872. Neat work and well-cut heads. Used various tickets.LAFLEUR,Jacques.—Paris. Died 1832. Excellent bow-maker. A son,Joseph René, was also a good workman. Died 1874.LAGETTO,Louis.—Paris; eighteenth century. Was an Italian. Yellow-brown varnish. Mediocre style and appearance.LAMBERT,Jean Nicolas.—Paris; eighteenth century. Used various labels, some with ornamental border; also sometimes branded his work.LAMY,Alfred Joseph.—Paris; contemporary. Well-known bow-maker. Imitates style of Voiriu.LANDOLFI,Carlo Ferdinando.—Milan;circa1740-80. A maker of some importance. His work is fairly plentiful, and the best examples are well finished and exhibit much handsomer material than that employed by most of the Milanese makers. The varnish on such examples is strikingly beautiful. It is of different shades varying between yellowish-red and brown-red. Scrolls not handsome. He is sometimes cited as a follower of Guarneri del Gesù, but there is little or no resemblance to the work of thatmaker. Arching sometimes rather full. Sound-holes well cut, but rather weak looking. Work generally very characteristic, but examples are met with in which it is carelessly finished and the varnish inferior. He seems to have made his instruments in different grades. The violoncellos used to realise better prices than the violins. They are good instruments, but rather small in size. A son namedPietro Antonioworked with him and succeeded him. He seems to have lived until about the end of the century. A few examples of his work seen by the writer were of inferior style and finish. Yellowish-red varnish of not much brilliancy. Sound-holes slightly pointed.LANTNER,Ferdinand Martin.—Prague. Died 1906. He made a number of instruments, but they seem to be scarce in this country.LANZA,Antonio Maria.—Brescia; to about 1715. Genuine work scarce. Maggini style.LAPAIX, J. A.—Lille; to about 1858. Was an inventor or innovator whose experiments did not lead to much, but made some useful fiddles of orthodox pattern.LA PREVOTTE,Etienne.—Marseilles, Paris. Died 1856. Made some handsome violins, but was chiefly a guitar maker.LARCHER,Pierre.—Paris, Tours; eighteenth century. Pupil of Guersan.LASKE,Joseph Anton.—Prague. Died 1805. Said to have been a fine workman. Little known in this country. Some of the labels have an ornamental border.LAVAZZA,Antonio Maria.—Milan; earlyeighteenth century. Scarce. A relative namedSantino Lavazzaworked about the same time.LE BLANC.—Paris; about 1800. Brown instruments, branded with the name.LE CLERC, J. N.—Paris; eighteenth century.LEEB.—Pressburg, Vienna. A family of makers in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The best known isAndreas Carl, a good workman. Chiefly Stradivari pattern.LEGNANI,Luigi.—Naples;circa1760. Pupil of Zosimo Bergonzi.LEIDOLFF.—Vienna; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There were several members of the family. Their work is of the Stainer school.LEISSMÜLLER,ChristopherandMartin.—Krünn, near Mittenwald; eighteenth century. Two makers who have made useful violins of good tone.LE JEUNE.—Paris; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A numerous family of makers of no particular eminence.LEMBÖCK,Gabriel.—Budapest. Died 1892. A good maker and excellent repairer.LENOBLE,Auguste.—Paris. Died 1895. A fine bow-maker. Worked first with François Peccatte.LENTZ,Johann Nicholaus.—London; early nineteenth century. A Tyrolese. Instruments date from Chelsea. The work is passable, but specimens are not often seen. He was first employed as a butler, and became friendly with J. F. Lott.LE PILEUR,Pierre.—Paris; 1750.LÉTÉ,Simon.—Paris; nineteenth century. Married the daughter of F. Pique. Was chiefly an organ builder, but made passable violins. J. B. Vuillaume was in partnership with him until 1828.LEWIS,Edward.—London; seventeenth century. Carefully finished work with yellow or yellow-red varnish. Scarce.LIEBICH.—Breslau; nineteenth century. Several of the name date from Breslau. Some of their copies are very well made.LIPP.—A name frequently seen in eighteenth century fiddles, mostly dating from Mittenwald.LIPPOLD.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A family of makers in Markneukirchen.LONGMAN & BRODERIP.—London. Well-known dealers in the eighteenth century. Banks, Jay, and several other good workmen made instruments for the firm.LORENZ.—Eighteenth century. There were two or three German makers of the name, chiefly in Markneukirchen. No particular merit. Name branded on backs.LOTT.—London. A celebrated family of German origin, dating from late eighteenth century. The senior and perhaps most important member wasJohn Frederick Lott, who died in London in 1853. He was first associated with Fendt in working for Thomas Dodd (q.v.), and his double basses will bear comparison for style and workmanship with anything of the kind made in this country or abroad. He also made fine violoncellos, and, more rarely, violins, but was a fine workman in all departments. His sonGeorgeFrederickdied in 1868, and worked chiefly for Davis, the well-known dealer in Coventry Street, for whom he made many clever copies of Italian instruments. He was also celebrated as a judge of old violins.John Frederick Lott II., who died in 1871, was the second son of J. F. Lott, senior, and is perhaps the best known of the family amongst violinists. His copies of del Gesù’s fiddles are frequently remarkably clever imitations, and are still frequently mistaken for originals, though they are usually a trifle larger than the latter. He was almost equally successful in imitating Carlo Bergonzi, but examples of that pattern are rather scarce. But it may be said that he could, when he chose, imitate any of the great Cremonese masters with extraordinary fidelity. He was occasionally employed by J. B. Vuillaume, to whom he is said to have imparted information (little needed, one would have supposed) on the methods employed in making facsimiles of old Italian work.LOUIS,Jean.—Geneva, Basle; about 1800-20.LOWENDALL,Louis.—Dresden, Berlin; nineteenth century. A well-known manufacturer of stringed instruments and accessories.LUPOT.—Eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A celebrated French family of makers originating in Mirecourt.Jean, the founder, died there in 1749, and was in no way distinguished. His sonLaurentworked in various places and died in Orleans between 1760-70.Francois Lupot I.was son of Laurent, and worked chiefly in Orleans, but went to Paris in 1794 and died there in 1804. He was a good workman, vastly superior to his predecessors. His name is usually stamped on the back of his instrumentsin addition to the label. Brown or yellow-brown varnish of moderate quality. Arching sometimes inclined to be full. Sound-holes rather upright and the opening not very wide. Scroll mediocre. He is said to have worked with Guarneri del Gesù, but his violins bear no likeness whatever to those of that master, and it is difficult to understand how such a story could have gained currency. His sonNicholas Lupot, born Stuttgart, 1758, died Paris, 1824, was a maker of the first rank, and is usually reckoned the most important of all the makers of the French school. He worked first with his father, and his earlier examples date from Orleans. In 1792 he made for Pique of Paris a number of fiddles in the white, which were varnished by that maker, and bore his label, but are easily distinguished from the works of the latter. The migration to Paris took place in 1794, and his finest efforts are dated from there, the best period beginning about 1800, or a year or two later. His copies of makers other than Stradivari are comparatively rare, but he was unquestionably one of the best imitators of the great Cremonese who ever lived. The work throughout is scrupulously well finished; outline exactly reproduced, and scrolls and sound-holes cut with much vigour and accuracy. Notwithstanding this, the general appearance of his instruments is a trifle massive and heavy, and there is no doubt that in this respect certain other copyists, such as François Fent and Vincent Panormo, have excelled him. His varnish is of good quality, but varies somewhat in appearance, texture, and colour. Dark red was the favourite shade, but lighter shades from yellow onwards are met with, and in some examples the reds are rather glaring. The tone of a fine example is excellent, but, like that of most French instruments,seldom or never possesses the true Italian quality. Some of the violoncellos are superb. He was the founder of the more modern and typical French school of makers and had several notable pupils. His younger brother,François Lupot II., died in Paris in 1837. Such violins as he made are quite indifferent, and his attention was almost entirely confined to bow-making. His best bows are excellent in every way, but he was an unequal workman, and a good many are a trifle short in the stick.LUTZ.—Eighteenth and nineteenth century. A large family of makers in Schönbach. Some of them established themselves in other places (Vienna and Paris), and were at work quite recently.MacGEORGE, George.—Edinburgh. Worked with Matthew Hardie, and later alone until about 1820.MACINTOSH,John.—Dublin. Died about 1840. Born in Scotland. Succeeded to Perry and Wilkinson’s business. A tolerably good workman, but resorted to practices for artificially maturing the wood of his instruments.MAGGINI,Giovanni Paolo.—Brescia. Born in Botticino Sera, near Brescia, in August, 1580. Died in or before 1632. It is supposed that he fell a victim to the plague in the latter year. Interesting and important information about him was discovered by Professor Berenzi, who lectured on the subject in Brescia in 1890 and also wrote a pamphlet. The facts thus disclosed were included in a monograph on Maggini compiled by Lady Huggins, and published in 1892, most of the material being derived from notessupplied by the brothers Hill. The maker was apprenticed to Gaspar da Salò, and his earlier work is primitive looking and somewhat rough. According to the Huggins monograph both backs and bellies were at first cut on the slab. The violins of Gaspar da Salò, or such of them as have survived, seem to be usually of small pattern; those of Maggini, on the other hand, are usually of large size and may measure from 14¼ to a fraction over 14½ inches in length of body; but according to observations made by the writer, there is reason to believe that he now and then made examples of somewhat reduced proportions. Be that as it may, the typical Maggini fiddle is considerably larger than an ordinary full-sized instrument. His practice was to double purfle his work, but several single purfled specimens are known. The sound-holes at his best period are finely cut and set somewhat slantingly in the belly, the edges being bevelled on the under side. The lower circles are somewhat smaller than the upper ones, but it is by no means certain that this feature was either originated by or entirely peculiar to Maggini, as has been asserted. The cutting of the scroll is peculiar, the turns being from a quarter to half a turn shorter than the ordinary number. In large numbers of continental and other forgeries, and in the common copies of Maggini violins, the process has been reversed and an extra turn added to the volute. The varnish is of fine quality, brown in early work, and golden with a tinge of red in the latest specimens. The outline of the body is bold, with short corners, and, in a typical example, the waist widens rapidly to the lower corner. The arching of the violins is very gradual, rising to about half an inch in the centre of the plates. There are, however, specimens, supposed to date from Maggini’s middleperiod, in which the build is somewhat higher, and there is a “pronounced raised border” running round the edges. The labels are undated, and placed near the centre of the instrument, instead of directly under the sound-hole. The tone of his best violins is superb, but a little deficient in brilliancy in the upper register. Genuine Maggini work is scarce, but imitations of it abound. One of the cleverest imitators was Bernhard Fendt, several of whose double-basses have passed as Magginis. Violas of unquestioned authenticity do not exceed about a dozen in number. They are more arched than the fiddles and the sound-holes set somewhat high. Nearly all the existing specimens have been reduced in size. Only two or three genuine violoncellos appear to be known. Of double-basses and instruments of the violone class it is difficult to speak with certainty. A small chamber bass, erroneously assigned to da Salò, was in the possession of Mr. T. W. Bourne a few years ago, and a fine example of large size is, or was recently, in Stockholm. Much of the work of this class formerly assigned in this country to Maggini is now recognised as English, Fendt and one or two others being the authors of it. Of Maggini’s two sons, one died in infancy, and the other, Pietro, was not a violin maker. The older books mention a Pietro Santo Maggini, but his existence as a maker is nowadays discredited.MAIRE,Nicholas.—Paris. Died 1878. A good bow-maker.MALDONER,Johann Stephan.—Füssen; eighteenth century. Mediocre work, often worm-eaten. Used a label with an ornamental border.MALINE.—Paris; worked to about 1850 or later. A clever bow-maker. Worked at one time forVuillaume. A violin-maker of the same name, who may have been his son, also worked in Paris.MANDELLI,Camillo.—Late nineteenth century. Apparently dates from Cremona, with which city he was intimately acquainted. Work not known to writer.MANN,John Alexander.—Glasgow. Died 1889. A good workman. Usually copied Stradivari. Dark yellow varnish. He was one of the best Scottish makers of the last century, and was intimate with J. B. Vuillaume. Some of his tickets are in French wording.MANSUY, orMansue.—Paris;circa1840. Instruments seemingly scarce.MANTEGAZZA—Milan; eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. There were three or four members of the family.Pietro Giovanniseems to have worked in partnership with two brothers. They were well-known dealers and repairers. Good work, varnish often very dark in colour. Their violas are highly spoken of. The form of their instruments resembles that of Amati.MARCHETTI,Enrico.—Turin; late nineteenth century. Obtained a medal for his work at Antwerp in 1885.MARCHI,Gian Antonio.—Bologna; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Golden yellow or red-brown varnish of good quality. Wood handsome. Scrolls very well cut. Appears to have made some fine violoncellos.MARCONCINI,Aloysius.—Bologna, Ferrara;circa1760-90. Said to have been a pupil ofOmobono Stradivari. A son namedGiuseppedied in 1841. He worked in Cremona as a pupil of Storioni.MARENGO-RINALDI,Romano.—Turin. Born 1866. Succeeded the well-known dealer, Gioffredo Rinaldi. Work is after the style of Pressenda, whose recipe for varnish he is said to possess. He has obtained medals at Turin and Paris.MARIANI,Antonio.—Pesaro;circa1635-95. This maker has shared the fate of Cappa, his working period having been antedated by about a century in the older books on the violin. He was at work until very near the end of the seventeenth century. All sorts of double purfled instruments, some of them in no way like his, have been attributed to him. He is said to have been a pupil of Maggini, which is certainly very doubtful. The resemblance to the work of that maker is very trifling. The fiddles are generally rather large, and in most cases double purfled; but in other respects they differ materially from those of Maggini. The pattern is primitive and inelegant; the corners long; the sound-holes usually set very upright; in some the wings are absent, and the sound-hole is of the type known as “Brescian.” The waist is long and stiff looking, and quite unlike that of Maggini. The scroll a rough piece of carving. Varnish of good quality, and usually brown or yellow-brown. Wood generally of very plain appearance. A fine violin with an excellent tone, having a single line of purfling, is in the possession of the well-known artist, Philip Cathie. Another Mariani, namedFabio, is said by Valdrighi to have worked in Pesaro in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and was probably a son.MARINO,Bernardino.—Rome; eighteenth century and early nineteenth. Roughish work of Tecchler style. Varnish red-brown.MARQUIS DE L’AIR. SeeClaudot.MARSHALL,John.—London; eighteenth century. Wamsley school of work. Stainer pattern. Labels usually in Latin. In some of his tickets there is a mild attempt at humour, “Good beef a penny a pound, but trades all very bad.”MARTIN.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A pretty numerous family working chiefly in Markneukirchen, several of whom bore the Christian names “John Adam.”MARTIN.—Paris; nineteenth century. There were several of the name. They were principally dealers and repairers.MAST.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A Mirecourt family.Jean Laurentworked in Paris in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Instruments branded.Joseph Laurent, a neat workman, settled in Toulouse. Rather high model. Pretty wood. Yellow or red varnish. He was a skilful repairer.MAUCOTEL.—Mirecourt, Paris, London; nineteenth century. A well-known family of good workmen.Charles, born Mirecourt, 1807, worked in Paris under Gand. Came to London in 1844, and after working for Davis established himself in Rupert Street. Retired to France in 1860. Chiefly copied Stradivari. Red varnish.Charles Adolphe, his brother, worked in Paris for Vuillaume until 1844, and then set up for himself. Made a considerable number of copies of excellent workmanship and tone.Obtained various medals, and died in 1858.Ernst Maucotel, born in Mirecourt in 1867; assisted Hippolyte Chrétien-Silvestre, with whom he became partner in 1900.MAURIZI,Francesco.—Appignano; eighteenth century. Used sometimes a large oval ticket with ornamental border. Varnish brown.MAUSSIELL,Leonhard.—Nuremberg. Born 1685, died after 1760. A careful maker. Usually copied Stainer. Some of the fiddles have lion-heads. Varnish yellow, or yellow-brown.MAYR.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Three or four of the name worked in different parts of Germany (Salzburg, Munich, Schönbach). The best known isAndreas Ferdinand, a careful workman, who copied Stainer, and worked in Salzburg until about 1750.MAYSON,Walter H.—Manchester. Born 1835, died 19—. Has made a great number of violins and other instruments of excellent finish, some of which are elaborately carved. He wrote a book on violin making, which was published in the “Strad Library.”MÉDARD.—A numerous family of makers established in Nancy and Paris in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. There were upwards of a dozen of them. The best known is François, son of Claude Médard. Born at Nancy, he worked chiefly in Paris, where he flourished until about 1715, or later. The work is very pretty, and the wood frequently handsome. Light red varnish of very clear texture. Arching rather flat.MEER,Karel van der.—Amsterdam; contemporary. A clever workman. Maker to the Conservatoire in Amsterdam.MEIBERI,Francesco.—Leghorn; eighteenth century. One of the few makers dating from Leghorn. Work little known.MEINEL.—Upwards of a score of makers of the name date from Klingenthal and Markneukirchen, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The work of some of them is very passable. Instruments frequently branded with maker’s initials.MEISEL.—Another very large tribe of German makers, dating, chiefly from Klingenthal, down to very recent times.MEISNER,Johann Friedrich.—Lübeck. Died 1770. A professional musician who made violins, specimens of which are occasionally seen in this country. Dark brown varnish.MELEGARI,Enrico Clodovio.—Turin; nineteenth century.MELONI,Antonio.—Milan; late seventeenth century. Pretty work. Yellow varnish.MENNÉGAND,Charles.—Died 1885. Worked in various places, including Amsterdam, but chiefly in Paris. A very clever workman and repairer. Has left numerous instruments, a number of which are violoncellos. Usually worked on Stradivari lines.MENNESON,Jean Emile(pseudonym “Guarini”).—Rheims. Born 1842. A clever workman, who has obtained several medals. Has produced a great number of instruments with the assistance ofworkmen, and had formerly a factory at Mirecourt. Many of his violins are copies of the “Messie” Stradivari. His sons succeeded to his business.MERCIER, A.—Paris; nineteenth century. Mirecourt class of work. Name stamped inside instruments. Varnish yellowish red.MÉRIOTTE,Charles.—Lyons; middle eighteenth century. Stradivari pattern.MESSORI,Pietro.—Modena; contemporary. Manufactures various kinds of instruments, and has received several medals. Violins are said to be well made and amber varnish, but work is not known to the writer.METHFESSEL,Gustav.—Berne. Born 1839. Worked first in Vienna.MEYER,Magnus Andreas.—Hamburg; eighteenth century. Work said to resemble that of Tielke. Yellow varnish. Sometimes inlaid. Written labels.MEZZADRI,Alessandro.—Ferrara;circa1720 and later. Amati style. Fairly good work. Another Mezzadri namedFrancescoworked in Milan to about 1750. Writer has seen two or three violins of fairly neat workmanship and Amati outline. Reddish varnish.MICHELIS.—SeeZanetto.MIGGE,Otto Koblenz.—London. Born 1857. Has written a book claiming to have discovered the secrets of the Italian masters. Violins by him seen by the writer certainly did not justify the claim.MIREMONT,Claude Augustin.—New York,Paris. Born 1827, Mirecourt, died 1887. Has left many useful instruments, chiefly of Stradivari pattern, which are rising in value. Sides sometimes appear rather deep. He made some excellent violoncellos.MÖCKEL.—Nineteenth century. A Berlin family established in Berlin, Dresden, and elsewhere. One of them,Otto, used a label with his portrait upon it.MOINEL,Charles.—Paris. Born 1866. Succeeded Cherpitel.MOITESSIER,Louis.—Mirecourt. Worked to about 1825 and made many instruments. Examples seen by writer were of mediocre workmanship.MÖNNIG.—Markneukirchen. A family of nineteenth century makers. About half a dozen of them are mentioned.MONTADE,Gregorio.—Cremona; to about 1730. The work is after the pattern of Stradivari, but is little known amongst connoisseurs.MONTAGNANA,Domenico.—Venice; to about 1745 or later. A maker of very high rank, about whom very little is certainly known. He was probably born in Venice, and the stories that he worked under either Stradivari or Amati may be dismissed as being unsupported by any evidence worthy of the name. The earliest date seen by the writer in an authentic ticket is 1715, and appears in a fine violin of rather small size, photographs of which appeared in theStradmagazine in June, 1912. Whoever was his instructor, he seems to have asserted his individuality from the outset. In a few of the violins there is more than a suspicion of a leaningtowards the German form of outline; and in the treatment of the sound-holes the same thing may be observed. This is not surprising when it is remembered that the majority of the old Venetian makers exhibit traces, more or less marked, of the influence of Stainer. In his finest examples no trace of anything of the kind is discernible. He was an admirable workman with great knowledge of wood, and a fine eye for form. Much of his material is very handsome, particularly in the violoncellos, in the making of which instruments he was second to no maker, except Stradivari. A few double-basses are known. Violas are very rarely seen, but the few recognised as genuine are admirable instruments and possess a very fine tone. His varnish has long excited the admiration of connoisseurs. It is very lustrous, and of varying shades of red, the texture being much clearer than that usually seen on work of the Venetian school. The violins are of two sizes, the larger and more valuable being a small fraction under 14 inches long, and the general dimensions corresponding pretty nearly with the larger examples of Guarneri del Gesù. In the finer examples the sound-holes are not unlike some of those of Carlo Bergonzi. The arching is of medium height as a rule, but now and then a little fuller. His fiddles are certainly very rare, but their number is not so phenomenally limited as has been asserted by some writers. Tricks have been freely played with his labels in the past. These in some examples date from the sign “Cremona”; but there are genuine tickets which contain no reference to it. The heads are always splendid pieces of carving and of bold contour. One of the handsomest of his violoncellos has long been in the possession of Mr. George Gudgeon. A woodcut of it appears in Hart’s book on the violin.MORLET,Nicholas.—France, probably Mirecourt; nineteenth century. Large violins after the stereotyped pattern of “didier” Nicolas.MORRISON,John.—London; nineteenth century, first half. Worked in Soho, chiefly for the trade. Instruments little known.MOUGENOT.—Rouen;circa1760.MOUGENOT,Georges.—Brussels. Born 1843. A well-known dealer and maker. He worked with N. F. Vuillaume, whose business in Brussels he acquired. His copies of Stradivari and Guarneri are very well made. Work usually signed in addition to printed label.MOUGENOT-GAUCHÉ.—Contemporary. A manufacturer of violins on a considerable scale. His best grade fiddles are useful instruments and mostly after the pattern of the “Messie” Stradivari.MUCCHI,Antonio.—Modena. Died 1883. His violins and violoncellos are fair examples of modern Italian work. Varnish generally yellow or yellow-brown.MÜLLER.—Several German makers of this name are known. Some worked in Markneukirchen in the last century. Others in Schönbach.NADOTTI,Joseph.—Piacenza; eighteenth century, latter half.NANCY,Jean Théodore.—Paris; to about 1800. Chiefly known as a clever repairer.NEMESSÁNYI,Samuel Felix.—Budapest;circa1850-75. Work little known in this country,but he was an exceptionally clever copyist of Guarneri del Gesù and used good varnish.
GUARINI.—VideMennesson.
GUARNERI.—Cremona, Mantua, Venice; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The founder of this celebrated family wasAndrea, born 1626 in Cremona; died there in December, 1698. An undoubted pupil of Niccolò Amati, by whom he was employed as late as 1653; he was at first a close imitator of his master. Later he altered the style of his work somewhat. It is stated in many books that he was fellow-workman with Stradivari, by whose style he became influenced. Dates certainly do not tend to confirm the statement. Stradivari was not born until 1644, and even if he was employed by Amati while Andrea Guarneri was in that maker’s workshop, there are instruments by Andrea in existence which were made before Stradivari could possibly be of an age to exert any influence, and which exhibit modifications in the pattern, form of sound-holes, and arching, showing clearly enough that the maker had begun to work on lines of his own. Occasionally, Andrea adopted the “Grand pattern” of Amati, and it is probable he assisted in the makingof some of the violins of that type. One very beautiful violin, bearing his own label, is known to the writer, which might well pass for a Grand Amati. The sides of Andrea’s heads are usually more deeply grooved than those of Amati. Very few violas or violoncellos seem to be known. Messrs. Hill state that they have met with one of the latter of smaller dimensions than the usual violoncello of the period, but that other examples had been cut down from their original size.Joseph Guarneri, son ofAndrea, was born in November, 1666, and appears to have been alive in 1738, but the date of death has not been ascertained. He worked for some time with his father. The beauty of the varnish on many of his violins has not been surpassed by any other maker. Some of his backs show a broad curl, others have wood of smaller figure, but considerable beauty. The pattern of his violins varies considerably, as also the amount of arching in the plates, which is commonly flatter in late than early specimens. Some examples show a long and somewhat stiff curve in the waist, or middle bouts; in others the curve is more pronounced, and resembles that seen in the instruments of his celebrated relative, Del Gesù. In the heads also a resemblance may now and then be traced, and the peg-box is somewhat cut in at the throat. The fiddles are usually about 137/8inches long. The sound-holes set a trifle lower and nearer the edge of the instrument than is usual, and in certain examples the form of the sound-holes is very slightly pointed at the ends. This form is not seen in earlier specimens. His violas and violoncellos are scarce. A few fine examples of the latter are recognised.Pietro Giovanni Guarneri(“Peter of Mantua”), the eldest son of Andrea, was born in Cremona in February, 1655. Date of death notascertained. He also employed most beautiful varnish of a deep orange, or red orange tint, and has left some charming examples of his work. The general style of his instruments belongs to the Amati school. Arching usually somewhat full, very fine scrolls, and sound-holes which are set almost perpendicularly, and very decidedly arched at their upper and lower turns. The fiddles usually of medium size, but larger examples are occasionally met with. A very fine violin dated 1686, with ornamental purfling, is figured by von Lütgendorff. The date when he went to Mantua does not seem to be known, and the writer is unable to find any satisfactory proof that he worked also in Venice, as has been frequently stated.Pietro Guarneri II.(“Peter of Venice”) was a son of Joseph, son of Andrea. He was born in Cremona in April, 1695, and appears to have worked in Venice until after 1760. In his labels, which have an ornamental border, he calls himself son of Joseph. He is stated to have worked for some time with his uncle, Peter of Mantua, in that city. The writer is not well acquainted with his instruments.Giuseppe Guarneri(“Joseph, del Gesù”) was born at Cremona in October, 1687. Date and place of death are unknown. The latest date seen in a violin is 1745. The correct birth date was ascertained by an Italian writer (de Piccolellis), and first published in 1886, notwithstanding which several subsequent writers have persisted in stating that the event took place in 1683, the date formerly supposed to be correct (on the authority of J. B. Vuillaume). According to Hart, whose view is generally followed by the best modern authorities, del Gesù’s probable instructor was his relative, Joseph, son of Andrea, and there are features in some of his work which certainlysupport this theory. The earliest date found in his admittedly genuine violins is said to be 1723. In that year he would be at least thirty-six years old, and no very satisfactory explanation of the absence of authentic specimens of earlier date seems to be forthcoming, unless we suppose that he did not begin to follow the art in which he was so conspicuously successful until pretty mature manhood. Horace Petherick, in 1906, published a book (illustrated) in which he claimed to have discovered that del Gesù’s master was Andrea Gisalberti of Parma (q.v.), a little-known maker of no great account. However, neither Mr. Petherick’s arguments, nor the examples by which he strove to support them, were seriously accepted by most judges of the first rank, and the difficulty may be said to be still unsolved. Neither violas nor violoncellos which can unhesitatingly be accepted as the work of del Gesù have come to light. Instruments of both types have from time to time been put forward as authentic, but have been rejected as spurious by all the best-informed authorities.
Much misapprehension—some at least of which may be traced to general and loosely worded descriptions in books—has existed in regard to the size of del Gesù’s larger violins. His more massive looking instruments give the impression of being of greater size than is found on careful measurement to be really the case. The widths are full, but the bodies measure only 137/8inches, or a minute fraction over, in length, and, so far as the writer is aware, no properly verified exception to this rule has as yet appeared. A number of his earlier works are only 13¾ inches long, but nevertheless possess a volume of tone which is astonishing, considering the relatively small size of the instrument. It has been customary to classify his worksinto distinct types, varying with the period of their production. Though in the main a convenient system, the dates found in his violins do not by any means always square with it. Two illustrations of this will suffice. The “Hart” Joseph, now owned by the great artist Kreisler, is of the bold massive build which he is supposed to have adopted not earlier than 1740; but it dates, according to the label, from the year 1737. Paganini’s famous instrument (now in the museum at Genoa) is dated 1743, and the splendid example known as the “Le Duc” was made in 1745. Neither of these instruments exhibits the exceptional finish and elegance of form which may be seen in a few examples made between about 1734-38, yet each is a remarkable work of art, though dating from a period when his handiwork has been said to betray a lamentable falling off in design, workmanship, and varnish. There is no doubt that del Gesù did occasionally produce instruments which in some features, such as the form of the sound-holes, are uncompromisingly ugly; but, in the writer’s view, there are not sufficient data to assign these specimens to any particular period of his working life. His handsomest and most exquisitely finished violins seem to have been made approximately between the dates above stated, 1734-38. Instruments of this class are rare, but will in every way bear comparison with those of Stradivari. Three notable fiddles of this type may be mentioned: the D’Egville, dated 1735; the “King” Joseph (now in America), and the “Gillott,” both dated 1737. These, with perhaps a dozen others, are reckoned amongst connoisseurs as the most finely formed and finished specimens of this great master’s work. In early examples a distinct resemblance to the works of his cousin, Joseph, son of Andrea, istraceable, and instruments now properly assigned to that maker have pretty frequently been labelled and passed as the work of Del Gesù. The sound-holes of his violins exhibit much diversity of treatment both in the form and the angle at which they are placed, and it is evident that in the cutting of them he rarely had recourse to patterns, or templates. It is generally supposed that he revived the “pointed” form associated with the school of Brescia. In many cases there is little or no suspicion of a “point” visible, and in no case known to the writer is the peculiarity accentuated to the absurd extent exhibited in swarms of copies which may be met with. His arching varies considerably, but the rise of the plates from the edges to the centre is usually gradual. In the outline of his more robust type of instrument there is a resemblance to the violins of Maggini, but that maker’s large dimensions—his ordinary fiddle is about 14¼ to 14½ inches long—are never approached by del Gesù. His varnish is almost always of fine quality and Cremonese type. There are probably more yellow specimens to be seen than those of deeper shade, but on the latter its colouring and texture are admirable. Swarms of makers of all nationalities have imitated, or attempted to imitate, him; but the truth, as shown by experience, is that del Gesù’s work is very difficult to imitate successfully; far more so than that of Stradivari and many other noted makers. His eccentricities have been travestied to an extent which betrays the hand of the forger to all but the most inexperienced. The cutting of the scroll is nearly always a stumbling block, and perhaps ninety-nine out of every hundred copies are too big. This latter observation will generally be found to apply to the wonderfully clever imitations made by JohnFrederick Lott in the last century, a goodly number of which are still accepted as authentic “Josephs” by the uninitiated. In recent years he has been imitated (so far at least as external appearances go) with remarkable exactness, by a maker named Voller, whose skilful “facsimiles” of various classic makers at first puzzled numbers of observers by no means ill-acquainted with the characteristics of genuine Italian work. Amongst French copyists, J. B. Vuillaume, Pierre Silvestre, Remy, and Georges Chanot I., may be mentioned; but their instruments, though reproducing with more or less fidelity the form and peculiarities of del Gesù, are in the great majority of cases of larger dimensions than the originals. Italy has produced a number of followers, but, until quite recently, none seem to have succeeded in producing violins which by any stretch of imagination could be described as exact copies. Storioni and Carlo Bergonzi, and occasionally Testore, made fiddles which for years were accepted by the multitude as genuine “Josephs,” but nowadays few if any of them would pass as such amongst judges of any experience. As may be supposed, the number of this celebrated maker’s authentic works is very much less than that of Stradivari, whose labels date from about 1665-6 to 1737, the year of his death. It is much to be deplored that the repeated attempts to obtain reliable details of del Gesù’s life story have produced such meagre and disappointing results, but the prospect of fresh information coming to light seems to be remote.
GUERSAN,Louis.—Paris; eighteenth century to about 1770. Worked first with Claude Pierray. There are some good violins and other instruments bearing his name. His personal work, though by nomeans scarce, is not so plentiful as is sometimes supposed. He came of a family of makers, and his pattern and style were followed by other makers. Red or yellow varnish, sometimes handsome and brilliant. Sound-holes not very wide open. Heads cleanly cut. The arching varies a good deal. Pattern looks rather narrow; probably more so than it actually is. He used a variety of labels, one having a shield bearing his name.
GÜTTER. A whole tribe of makers of this name worked in Markneukirchen and elsewhere in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Upwards of a score of them are mentioned by the German writer, von Lütgendorff.
GUGGEMOS,Marcus.—Füssen; eighteenth century. High built fiddles with brown varnish, and ornamental labels. Füssen has produced makers whose style and varnish are not unlike Italian, but Guggemos can hardly be reckoned amongst them.
GUGLIELMI,Gio. Battista.—Cremona; eighteenth century. Little known.
GUIDANTUS.SeeFloreno.
GUSETTO,Niccolò.—Cremona; eighteenth century. A Florentine of no particular merit as a maker. Instruments usually high built and German in style.
GUTERMANN,Wilhelm Theodor.—Vienna. Died in 1900. A good workman. Made some curious shaped violins on a pattern designed by a Dr. Liharzik.
HAASE,Ferdinand.—Magdeburg, Dessau. Died 1892. Was a flute player who turned his attention to fiddle making, but apparently with indifferent success, his instruments being too thin in the plates.
HAENSEL,Johann Anton.—Rocksburg; about 1800.
HAFF,Joseph Anton.—Augsburg; nineteenth century. Died 1866. A son of the same name died in Stuttgart in 1902, and was a clever workman. He worked for some time in Munich and obtained medals.
HAKKERT,Jacob Wolfgang.—Rotterdam; contemporary. A workman of ability, who makes good copies of the Italian masters.
HAMBERGER.—Vienna, Presburg; nineteenth century. A family of makers who made some good violins, chiefly of Stradivari pattern.
HAMM.—Markneukirchen and Vilingenthal; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were several workmen of this name, the best known of whom, Johann Gottfried, worked for some time in Rome. Instruments of Stainer pattern, but broader, and frequently with ivory edges. Initials branded inside. He died in 1817.
HAMMA & CO.—Stuttgart; contemporary. A well-known firm of dealers and repairers.
HAMMIG.—A family originating in Markneukirchen, and dating back to about the middle of the eighteenth century. There have been several of the name working and dealing in instruments in various parts of Germany besides Markneukirchen (Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin), and the Berlin house, still carried on, is well known on the Continent.HARBOUR,Jacob.—London; about 1760-90.
HARDIE.—Edinburgh; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Perhaps the best known family amongst the Scottish makers. The most celebrated member wasMatthew, born Edinburgh in 1755, died 1826. His best work is very well finished. He copied the patterns of various Italian makers, but chiefly Stradivari and Amati. The tone of many of his violins is excellent. His varnish, according to examples seen by the writer, was not of the best. There were two James Hardies, of whom the second, born 1836, was the founder of the present Edinburgh firm of James Hardie and Son. He has produced an enormous number of instruments, many of which are somewhat on the lines of Maggini. Other makers of the name werePeter, who died at Dunkeld in 1863, and branded his work with his name; andThomas, a son of Matthew, who could turn out good work when he chose; he died in 1856.
HARE,John.—London; eighteenth century, first half. Unquestionably one of the best of the old English makers. He shares with a contemporary (Daniel Parker) the merit of having been the earliest of the English school to turn serious attention to the pattern of Stradivari. His instruments are of large proportions, flat arching, and good finish, the heads being the weakest feature of the design. He used an excellent red varnish of considerable brilliance, and it is to be regretted that his work is so scarce. The tone also is exceptionally good and resonant in a well-preserved example. Opinions seem still to be divided as to whetherJoseph Hare, mentioned in most books on the violin, was or was not identical with John. The latter was for some time associated in businesswith an individual named Freeman, of whom nothing else seems to be known. He worked near the Royal Exchange.
HARMAND, L.—Mirecourt; eighteenth century. Medium sized fiddles, with reddish varnish. Stamped “Au Roi David. L. Harmand.”
HARRIS,Charles.—Oxford, London. Worked until about 1800. His work is rarely labelled, and is little known, except to a few of the dealers. An excellent maker, whose fiddles and basses (particularly the latter) are deservedly in high repute. The pattern is generally that of Stradivari; Amati copies do not so frequently occur. Harris is noted amongst other things for his varnish of a warm red tint. A son of the same name worked in Oxford and London, and was for a time employed by John Hart.
HART.—A name familiar to violinists the world over. The firm of Hart and Son was established in Lower Wardour Street (formerly Princes Street, Leicester Square) byJohn Thomas Hart, who died in 1874. He was apprenticed to Samuel Gilkes, but made few instruments. John Hart and Georges Chanot I., of Paris, were in their day the most renowned judges of fiddles in Europe, and the former was instrumental in forming some of the most notable collections of violins that have ever been brought together.George Hart I., his son, who died in 1891, was also a judge of the highest eminence, but will always be remembered as the author of “The Violin, its Famous Makers and their Imitators,” which is recognised as the standard English work of reference. It passed through various editions in the author’s lifetime, and a further edition, with certainadditions and emendations by his son and the present writer, was issued in 1909.George Hart II., son of the former, is the present head of the firm, and is a judge of wide experience of violins and violoncellos of the highest class.
HASSERT,Johannes George Christian.—Eisenach and Rudolstadt; eighteenth century. Instruments rarely seen in this country, but according to continental writers they are of good form, Italian style, and moderate arching. He worked until about 1775. A son,Johann Christian, worked at Rudolstadt, and died there in 1823.
HAUDEK,Carl.—Vienna; contemporary. Succeeded to business of Lemböck. He has obtained medals, but appears to have made few instruments; well known as a restorer.
HÄUSSLER,Gustave.—Cracow; contemporary. A maker who has obtained medals for his instruments in Cracow and Lemberg. Stradivari pattern.
HAVELKA,Johann Baptist.—Linz; eighteenth century.
HEBERLEIN.—A family of makers originating in Markneukirchen, and ranging in date from the early eighteenth century to the present time. Some fifteen or sixteen makers of the name are enumerated. The best known of these isHeinrich Theodore, who died in 1910, and was a first-class workman.
HEESOM,Edward.—London; eighteenth century. Work very scarce and little known. Stainer pattern.
HEINEL,Oskar Bernhard.—Markneukirchen;contemporary. A clever workman in various styles, including “modern antiques.”
HEL,Pierre Joseph.—Lille. Born 1842. Instruments of his workmanship are excellent in every detail. Form, material, and varnish are all most praiseworthy, and he occupies a prominent place amongst makers of modern times. He obtained several medals. Instruments of an inferior grade, but not of his own workmanship, are of the “trade class,” and of no particular account, although occasionally sold as genuine. They bear, or should bear, a distinctive label. The business is now carried on by a son (Pierre), who is well known as a dealer.
HELD,Johann Joseph.—Enskirchen, Beuel. Died 1904. A clever workman, who obtained several medals, and seems to have had some theories of his own, one of which was impregnating the wood of his instruments. He was patronised by Ole Bull.
HELLMER.—Several makers of the name worked in Prague in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The family is supposed to have come from Füssen. In this country the best known isKarl Joseph, who died in 1811, and was a pupil of Eberle. There seem to be a good many spurious labels about containing the device used by him, a lion holding an instrument of the lute species. Red-brown varnish, careful finish, and medium arching. The general characteristics of his work belong to the German school. His father,Johann Georg, who died in Prague in 1770, made high-built fiddles of the Kloz type.
HENOCQ.—Paris; eighteenth century. Two makers of the name worked in Paris.HENRY.—Paris; nineteenth century. A family of makers of good repute. Amongst them may be mentionedCharles, who died in 1859, and was a prolific workman, who has left many useful instruments. He obtained medals. A son,Eugene, also a medallist, died in 1892.
HENRY, J.—Paris. Died 1870. An excellent bow-maker. Worked for some time with Dominique Peccatte.
HERZLIEB,Franz.—Gratz. Died 1861. A clever copyist. Handsome wood, yellow-brown varnish.
HILL.—A well-known family of fiddle-makers and dealers, whose connection with stringed instruments dates back to the seventeenth century. Some of the earlier members were makers of much ability. Amongst them may be mentionedJoseph Hill II., son of another maker of the same Christian name; this maker died in 1784, and first worked with Banks and Peter Wamsley. His copies of Amati violins, though not scrupulously exact, have frequently passed as originals, and some are thoroughly good instruments. His violoncellos are also in high esteem amongst players. Two other Josephs were also makers, and seem to have worked both on their own account, and for the trade. There were twoLockey Hills, the second of whom, namedHenry Lockey, was employed by John Betts. The writer has met with some beautiful examples of his instruments, the style and finish of which were most praiseworthy, and the pattern that of Stradivari. The present widely known firm ofW. E. Hill & Sonswas established in Wardour Street byWilliam Ebsworth Hill, and is now located in Bond Street, London. W. E. Hill died in1895. Though a skilful workman he made few new instruments, and devoted his attention chiefly to repairing and dealing in old violins. The active members of the present firm areArthur Frederick, born in 1860, andAlfred Ebsworth, born in 1862. As a judge of old fiddles and basses the latter holds a foremost place. The firm has published monographs on various notable instruments, and the work on Antonio Stradivari is the most exhaustive account of that maker and his work which has been published.
HJORTH.—Copenhagen. A family of makers established in Copenhagen since about the end of the eighteenth century. The founder wasAndrea, who died there in 1834, and copied the pattern of Amati. His instruments are branded“A. H. H.” Emil Hjorth, born 1840, and his sonOttocarry on the business, and have made good copies. The former at one time worked with Bernardel in Paris.
HÖRLEIN,Karl Adam.—Kitzingen, Würzburg. Died 1902. Pupil of Lemböck, in Vienna. In later years imported fiddles from Markneukirchen, which he varnished and finished personally.
HOFFMANN.—Numerous makers of the name worked in different parts of Germany. One of the best known isMartin Hoffmann, who worked in Leipzig until about 1725. A son,Johann Christian, was at work there until about 1750.
HOFMANN,Anton.—Vienna. Died 1871. Carried on a large business as a maker and repairer in Vienna, and dealt with Tarisio.
HOFMANS,Matthias.—Antwerp; 1700-50. Good work, and excellent varnish of Italian character and appearance.HOMOLKA.—There were nearly a dozen makers of the name in Prague and elsewhere (one in Vienna). The best known wasFerdinand August Vincenz, who died in 1890, and was a clever copyist of Italian masters, including Peter Guarneri of Mantua. Others of the family are:Emmanuel Adam, died 1849 in Prague; andEdward Emmanuel, born 1860. The latter is a good maker, and judge of old instruments.
HOPF.—A large number of makers of this name have operated in Klingenthal, Markneukirchen, and elsewhere in Germany for generations. Some were tolerable workmen; others most indifferent. Most of them used to brand their work, and the name Hopf may be seen branded on productions of the very commonest class, which are hardly fit to be described as violins.
HORNSTEINER.—The family name of a small army of Mittenwald fiddle-makers who have been at work for several generations. Several bore the same Christian name, and space prohibits any attempt to describe or discriminate between their works. Matthias II. and Joseph II., who worked down to about the first decade of the nineteenth century, are amongst the best of this numerous tribe.
HOYER.—A Klingenthal family of makers dating from the eighteenth century to very recent times. Von Lütgendörff enumerates nearly forty workmen of this name.
HUEL,Henri.—Paris; to about 1780. Little known; used a large label.
HULINZKY,Thomas Andreas.—Prague. Died 1788. A pupil of Eberle, and a careful workman.Used a ticket bearing a device similar to that of Hellmer.
HULSKAMP.—A Westphalian who migrated to New York. He exhibited a “freak fiddle” with a round hole in the belly instead of the usual sound-holes in London in 1862.
HUNGER,Christoph Friedrich.—Leipzig. Died 1787. A maker whose instruments are highly thought of in Germany. His father, who worked in Borstendorff, was also a violin maker.
HUREL,Jean.—Paris. Court maker about the end of the eighteenth century.
HUSSON.—Nineteenth century. A Mirecourt family of makers, one of whom, Charles, worked with Gand and Bernardel and was noted for his bows, some of which are stamped with his name.
JACOBS,Hendrik.—Amsterdam; late seventeenth century to about 1735. The most important maker of the Dutch school. Legend has been busy with his name, and according to the story, he worked with Niccolò Amati, and married his daughter. To make matters complete he should have succeeded to the business, but tradition stops short of this denouement. There seems to be nothing like direct evidence that he had any Italian training. He frequently imitated Amati with considerable exactness, and employed wood resembling that used by the Cremona maker; he also used a fine quality of varnish, usually red-brown in colour. His violins vary in size, but many of them are built more or less on the lines of the grand Amati. The scrolls are generally somewhat mean looking, and narrow, when viewed fromthe front; but the writer has seen exceptions where he was more successful with this feature. Sound-holes vary in form, some being of Amatese cut, and others hinting of the school of Stainer. His instruments are not so rare as is frequently supposed, the fact being that many of them still figure either as the work of Amati or of other Italian makers. One such, in the possession of a well-known French professor, recently came under the writer’s notice, and had been confidently declared to be an early example of Stradivari. Jacobs used whalebone purfling, which in some cases has been removed, and wooden purfling inserted by other hands. Whether he personally inserted Amati tickets into his instruments, as some Italians did, is not clear. The tone of a well-preserved example is usually excellent. The name seems to have been at first “Jacobsz,” the final “z” being dropped in the labels usually seen. The older books speak of a Peeter Jacobs, who, if he ever existed, apparently cannot now be traced. Vidal supposes that he was really identical with Pieter Rombouts, another Amsterdam maker contemporary with Jacobs, and supposed to have worked with him.
JACOT,Jean Charles.—Metz. Died 1887. Made some well-made instruments; a son was established in Paris.
JACQUOT.—Nineteenth century; Nancy, Paris. A well-known family of makers. The founder wasCharles, born at Mirecourt 1804, died 1880, near Paris. Worked with “didier” Nicolas, and later with Breton. Was first established at Nancy, went to Paris in 1854 and there produced his best work. An excellent workman, and a good judge of old instruments. He received numerous medals.Pierre Charles, born 1828, was his son, and took over the business in Nancy. He died there in 1895, and also received medals. Well-finished work, usually of Stradivari pattern. Two of his sons,Etienne Charles Albert, born 1853, andJules Victor, born 1855, have carried on the business.
JAEGER.—Markneukirchen. Makers of the name have been at work from early in the eighteenth century down to very recent times.
JAIS.—Mittenwald, Botzen; eighteenth century. There were several makers of the name. Some of their instruments have a fine red or yellow-brown varnish of Italian character, and the build and general style of the work is not unlike that of Albani.Joannes Jaisseems to have worked in Botzen until after 1780. Good work, label with an ornamental border.Andreas Jaisworked in Mittenwald and Tölz down to about 1750. Made a good many instruments of high build and frequently with well-carved lion-heads. A son named Johannes died in Tölz in 1762.Anton, apparently a grandson, was at work until after 1830. Pretty wood and good varnish.
JAUCH,Andreas.—Dresden;circa1749-80. Work rarely seen in this country, but is said to be of Italian character. The family name seems to have been “Jauck” and to have originated in Gratz—other makers of the name worked there.
JAURA.—Vienna; nineteenth century. A family of makers. The present maker,Wilhelm Thomas, was born in 1863, and is known as a skilful copyist and repairer.
JAY,Henry.—London; latter half of eighteenth century. Worked for Longman and Broderip, for whom he made violoncellos. Was also a noted maker of kits.Thomas Jay, his father, worked in the earlier half of the century. Little known.
JEANDEL,Pierre Napoleon.—Rouen; 1812-79. Red fiddles of good pattern and workmanship. Obtained several medals.
JOHNSON,John.—London;circa1750. Stainer pattern, mediocre workmanship. Examples scarce. He had a music shop in Cheapside.
JOMBAR,Paul.—Paris; contemporary. Well-made fiddles of the modern French type. He was apprenticed to Audinot.
JORIO,Vincenzo.—Naples;circa1850. Ornamental label, printed on yellow paper. Rather large pattern. Work well finished but seemingly scarce.
KABINGEN,Jacob.—Budapest;circa1855. Seems to have been a superior workman and to have migrated to Russia.
KÄMBL,Johann Andreas.—Munich. Died 1781. Apparently a maker of repute. Writer is unacquainted with his work.
KARNER,Bartholomäus.—Mittenwald; eighteenth century. Fairly well made instruments. Brown varnish. Label with ornamental border.
KARNER,Johann Georg.—Enns; about 1825. Instruments branded “I. K.” in addition to bordered label. Mediocre work; wood frequently worm-eaten.
KEFFER.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.There appear to have been several German makers of the name, working chiefly in Goisern. Instruments labelled, also branded “J. K.”
KEMPTER,Andreas.—Dillingen. Died 1786. High built. Stainer pattern; sometimes with lion heads. He seems also to have made instruments of flatter arching.
KENNEDY.—London; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A well-known family of Scottish origin.Alexander, the founder, died in London in 1785. Neat work. Stainer pattern. A nephew,John, worked chiefly for the trade and died in 1816. The best known maker wasThomas, the son of John, born 1784, died 1870. He also worked for the trade, but made a very large number of instruments on his own account, including numerous violoncellos. His personal work, when he chose to do his best, was of good pattern, and very neatly finished, but he evidently made instruments of different classes, and the poorer examples are of little worth.
KESSLER.—Markneukirchen. A very numerous family of German makers dating from about 1700 to the present time. They came from Markneukirchen, but some have settled in different German towns. The more recent members have manufactured on a considerable scale.
KITTEL,Nicholas.—St. Petersburg; to about 1870. Work scarce. He is best known as a bow-maker, and has produced excellent bows, stamped with his name.
KLEMM.—Markneukirchen. There were several workmen of the name in the eighteenth century.
KLEYMAN,Cornelis(also spelt Kleynman).—Amsterdam; seventeenth century. A little known copyist of Amati.
KLOZ.—Mittenwald; seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. A very numerous and important family of makers, and the real founders of the enormous business in violin making which has been carried on in and around Mittenwald since their time. About a score or more of makers of the name have been enumerated, and, as many of them bore the same Christian name, there has been much confusion as to their identity. About half a dozen of the number are tolerably well known and distinguished by judges in this country. For the rest, it is doubtful if even amongst their own countrymen any one is living who can claim any very exact knowledge of their individual work. The earlier workmen made more or less accurate copies of the instruments of Stainer, and in some cases there is little doubt that they labelled and sold their work as his, even during his lifetime. Some of the later Klozs altered the pattern of their violins and evidently based their designs upon Italian work, but none of them really succeeded in producing specimens possessing the true Italian style, although some of these have passed current as Cremonese amongst the unlearned in such matters. Most of them made their fiddles in two or more grades, the better of which, in certain cases, are well finished and possess a yellow or red-brown varnish of considerable brilliancy, and quality akin to that of Italy; but the bulk of the Kloz fiddles and basses are covered with the poor, meagre-looking stuff known as “glue varnish.” In numbers of cases the varnish on their work has become almost black. Of theindividual members of the family,Matthias I.(1656-1743) made fiddles of Stainer character and occasionally covered with varnish which gives some colour to the story that he travelled in Italy and acquired experience of Italian methods of varnishing.Egidius Kloz I.worked until 1711, and his instruments are good and fairly valuable.Egidius II.died in 1805, and was a neat workman, but rarely used decent varnish. His violins are fairly common in this country.Johann Carlwas one of the best of the tribe; model fairly flat; good red-brown varnish, and some general resemblance to Italian style in the work. He died in 1790. There were two makers namedGeorge, the second of whom died in 1797, and produced some highly finished work with brilliant varnish, but of Stainer model. Of the threeJosephs, the latest, who was alive in 1798, seems to have adopted a type of fiddle which has since been extensively imitated and has an outline of more Amati appearance than that of his predecessors.Sebastian I.was a son of the first Matthias, and is usually reckoned the best maker of the family; he worked until about 1750, and produced good-sized fiddles, the best of which have handsome wood and flatter arching than those of his father; but Stainer traditions were evidently deeply implanted in him, and he never entirely discarded them. Several of the family adopted lion-heads with more or less frequency. Those of the first George are very well carved. Kloz scrolls are not artistic, though they are distinctive enough. Genuine Kloz fiddles of one grade or another are plentiful enough, but the celebrity at one time attaching to the name has led to numberless forgeries, many of which figure in pawnshops, and bear little or no resemblance to the originals.
KNILLING.—Mittenwald; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were well over a dozen makers of this name.
KNITL,Joseph.—Mittenwald; to about 1790. Stainer model. Another Knitl, named Franz, said to be a son, worked in Freising, dying there in 1791.
KNOPF.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A Markneukirchen family settled in various parts of Germany and elsewhere. One of them,Henry Richard, worked with Bausch in Dresden and was recently at work in New York.
KÖGL,Hanns.—Vienna; about 1670. Said to have been born in Füssen. Imitated Brescian work.
KOLDITZ.—There were two or three makers of the name, one of whom,Matthias Johann, worked in Munich until about 1760.
KOLIKER,Jean Gabriel.—Paris; to about 1810. Chiefly known as a repairer, but is reputed to have made certain modern antiques of nondescript appearance.
KRETZCHMANN.—Markneukirchen; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A very numerous family. In some of their instruments the maker’s initials are branded in the place usually occupied by the label.
KREUZINGER.—The name of a Schönbach family of makers in the nineteenth century.Anton, born 1873, is highly spoken of as a good copyist.Joseph, born 1871, is reckoned a good workman, but seems latterly to have manufactured on a large scale.
KRIGGE,Heinrich.—Danzig;circa1750Large fiddles, double purfled after the manner of Maggini.
KRINER.—Mittenwald; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A large family which includes one or two high-class workmen. Amongst them may be mentionedSimon Kriner, who died in 1821, and was a clever copyist of Italian work. He travelled with his productions and occasionally came to England.
KULIK,Johannes.—Prague. Died 1872. Neat work and well-cut heads. Used various tickets.
LAFLEUR,Jacques.—Paris. Died 1832. Excellent bow-maker. A son,Joseph René, was also a good workman. Died 1874.
LAGETTO,Louis.—Paris; eighteenth century. Was an Italian. Yellow-brown varnish. Mediocre style and appearance.
LAMBERT,Jean Nicolas.—Paris; eighteenth century. Used various labels, some with ornamental border; also sometimes branded his work.
LAMY,Alfred Joseph.—Paris; contemporary. Well-known bow-maker. Imitates style of Voiriu.
LANDOLFI,Carlo Ferdinando.—Milan;circa1740-80. A maker of some importance. His work is fairly plentiful, and the best examples are well finished and exhibit much handsomer material than that employed by most of the Milanese makers. The varnish on such examples is strikingly beautiful. It is of different shades varying between yellowish-red and brown-red. Scrolls not handsome. He is sometimes cited as a follower of Guarneri del Gesù, but there is little or no resemblance to the work of thatmaker. Arching sometimes rather full. Sound-holes well cut, but rather weak looking. Work generally very characteristic, but examples are met with in which it is carelessly finished and the varnish inferior. He seems to have made his instruments in different grades. The violoncellos used to realise better prices than the violins. They are good instruments, but rather small in size. A son namedPietro Antonioworked with him and succeeded him. He seems to have lived until about the end of the century. A few examples of his work seen by the writer were of inferior style and finish. Yellowish-red varnish of not much brilliancy. Sound-holes slightly pointed.
LANTNER,Ferdinand Martin.—Prague. Died 1906. He made a number of instruments, but they seem to be scarce in this country.
LANZA,Antonio Maria.—Brescia; to about 1715. Genuine work scarce. Maggini style.
LAPAIX, J. A.—Lille; to about 1858. Was an inventor or innovator whose experiments did not lead to much, but made some useful fiddles of orthodox pattern.
LA PREVOTTE,Etienne.—Marseilles, Paris. Died 1856. Made some handsome violins, but was chiefly a guitar maker.
LARCHER,Pierre.—Paris, Tours; eighteenth century. Pupil of Guersan.
LASKE,Joseph Anton.—Prague. Died 1805. Said to have been a fine workman. Little known in this country. Some of the labels have an ornamental border.
LAVAZZA,Antonio Maria.—Milan; earlyeighteenth century. Scarce. A relative namedSantino Lavazzaworked about the same time.
LE BLANC.—Paris; about 1800. Brown instruments, branded with the name.
LE CLERC, J. N.—Paris; eighteenth century.
LEEB.—Pressburg, Vienna. A family of makers in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The best known isAndreas Carl, a good workman. Chiefly Stradivari pattern.
LEGNANI,Luigi.—Naples;circa1760. Pupil of Zosimo Bergonzi.
LEIDOLFF.—Vienna; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There were several members of the family. Their work is of the Stainer school.
LEISSMÜLLER,ChristopherandMartin.—Krünn, near Mittenwald; eighteenth century. Two makers who have made useful violins of good tone.
LE JEUNE.—Paris; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A numerous family of makers of no particular eminence.
LEMBÖCK,Gabriel.—Budapest. Died 1892. A good maker and excellent repairer.
LENOBLE,Auguste.—Paris. Died 1895. A fine bow-maker. Worked first with François Peccatte.
LENTZ,Johann Nicholaus.—London; early nineteenth century. A Tyrolese. Instruments date from Chelsea. The work is passable, but specimens are not often seen. He was first employed as a butler, and became friendly with J. F. Lott.
LE PILEUR,Pierre.—Paris; 1750.
LÉTÉ,Simon.—Paris; nineteenth century. Married the daughter of F. Pique. Was chiefly an organ builder, but made passable violins. J. B. Vuillaume was in partnership with him until 1828.
LEWIS,Edward.—London; seventeenth century. Carefully finished work with yellow or yellow-red varnish. Scarce.
LIEBICH.—Breslau; nineteenth century. Several of the name date from Breslau. Some of their copies are very well made.
LIPP.—A name frequently seen in eighteenth century fiddles, mostly dating from Mittenwald.
LIPPOLD.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A family of makers in Markneukirchen.
LONGMAN & BRODERIP.—London. Well-known dealers in the eighteenth century. Banks, Jay, and several other good workmen made instruments for the firm.
LORENZ.—Eighteenth century. There were two or three German makers of the name, chiefly in Markneukirchen. No particular merit. Name branded on backs.
LOTT.—London. A celebrated family of German origin, dating from late eighteenth century. The senior and perhaps most important member wasJohn Frederick Lott, who died in London in 1853. He was first associated with Fendt in working for Thomas Dodd (q.v.), and his double basses will bear comparison for style and workmanship with anything of the kind made in this country or abroad. He also made fine violoncellos, and, more rarely, violins, but was a fine workman in all departments. His sonGeorgeFrederickdied in 1868, and worked chiefly for Davis, the well-known dealer in Coventry Street, for whom he made many clever copies of Italian instruments. He was also celebrated as a judge of old violins.John Frederick Lott II., who died in 1871, was the second son of J. F. Lott, senior, and is perhaps the best known of the family amongst violinists. His copies of del Gesù’s fiddles are frequently remarkably clever imitations, and are still frequently mistaken for originals, though they are usually a trifle larger than the latter. He was almost equally successful in imitating Carlo Bergonzi, but examples of that pattern are rather scarce. But it may be said that he could, when he chose, imitate any of the great Cremonese masters with extraordinary fidelity. He was occasionally employed by J. B. Vuillaume, to whom he is said to have imparted information (little needed, one would have supposed) on the methods employed in making facsimiles of old Italian work.
LOUIS,Jean.—Geneva, Basle; about 1800-20.
LOWENDALL,Louis.—Dresden, Berlin; nineteenth century. A well-known manufacturer of stringed instruments and accessories.
LUPOT.—Eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A celebrated French family of makers originating in Mirecourt.Jean, the founder, died there in 1749, and was in no way distinguished. His sonLaurentworked in various places and died in Orleans between 1760-70.Francois Lupot I.was son of Laurent, and worked chiefly in Orleans, but went to Paris in 1794 and died there in 1804. He was a good workman, vastly superior to his predecessors. His name is usually stamped on the back of his instrumentsin addition to the label. Brown or yellow-brown varnish of moderate quality. Arching sometimes inclined to be full. Sound-holes rather upright and the opening not very wide. Scroll mediocre. He is said to have worked with Guarneri del Gesù, but his violins bear no likeness whatever to those of that master, and it is difficult to understand how such a story could have gained currency. His sonNicholas Lupot, born Stuttgart, 1758, died Paris, 1824, was a maker of the first rank, and is usually reckoned the most important of all the makers of the French school. He worked first with his father, and his earlier examples date from Orleans. In 1792 he made for Pique of Paris a number of fiddles in the white, which were varnished by that maker, and bore his label, but are easily distinguished from the works of the latter. The migration to Paris took place in 1794, and his finest efforts are dated from there, the best period beginning about 1800, or a year or two later. His copies of makers other than Stradivari are comparatively rare, but he was unquestionably one of the best imitators of the great Cremonese who ever lived. The work throughout is scrupulously well finished; outline exactly reproduced, and scrolls and sound-holes cut with much vigour and accuracy. Notwithstanding this, the general appearance of his instruments is a trifle massive and heavy, and there is no doubt that in this respect certain other copyists, such as François Fent and Vincent Panormo, have excelled him. His varnish is of good quality, but varies somewhat in appearance, texture, and colour. Dark red was the favourite shade, but lighter shades from yellow onwards are met with, and in some examples the reds are rather glaring. The tone of a fine example is excellent, but, like that of most French instruments,seldom or never possesses the true Italian quality. Some of the violoncellos are superb. He was the founder of the more modern and typical French school of makers and had several notable pupils. His younger brother,François Lupot II., died in Paris in 1837. Such violins as he made are quite indifferent, and his attention was almost entirely confined to bow-making. His best bows are excellent in every way, but he was an unequal workman, and a good many are a trifle short in the stick.
LUTZ.—Eighteenth and nineteenth century. A large family of makers in Schönbach. Some of them established themselves in other places (Vienna and Paris), and were at work quite recently.
MacGEORGE, George.—Edinburgh. Worked with Matthew Hardie, and later alone until about 1820.
MACINTOSH,John.—Dublin. Died about 1840. Born in Scotland. Succeeded to Perry and Wilkinson’s business. A tolerably good workman, but resorted to practices for artificially maturing the wood of his instruments.
MAGGINI,Giovanni Paolo.—Brescia. Born in Botticino Sera, near Brescia, in August, 1580. Died in or before 1632. It is supposed that he fell a victim to the plague in the latter year. Interesting and important information about him was discovered by Professor Berenzi, who lectured on the subject in Brescia in 1890 and also wrote a pamphlet. The facts thus disclosed were included in a monograph on Maggini compiled by Lady Huggins, and published in 1892, most of the material being derived from notessupplied by the brothers Hill. The maker was apprenticed to Gaspar da Salò, and his earlier work is primitive looking and somewhat rough. According to the Huggins monograph both backs and bellies were at first cut on the slab. The violins of Gaspar da Salò, or such of them as have survived, seem to be usually of small pattern; those of Maggini, on the other hand, are usually of large size and may measure from 14¼ to a fraction over 14½ inches in length of body; but according to observations made by the writer, there is reason to believe that he now and then made examples of somewhat reduced proportions. Be that as it may, the typical Maggini fiddle is considerably larger than an ordinary full-sized instrument. His practice was to double purfle his work, but several single purfled specimens are known. The sound-holes at his best period are finely cut and set somewhat slantingly in the belly, the edges being bevelled on the under side. The lower circles are somewhat smaller than the upper ones, but it is by no means certain that this feature was either originated by or entirely peculiar to Maggini, as has been asserted. The cutting of the scroll is peculiar, the turns being from a quarter to half a turn shorter than the ordinary number. In large numbers of continental and other forgeries, and in the common copies of Maggini violins, the process has been reversed and an extra turn added to the volute. The varnish is of fine quality, brown in early work, and golden with a tinge of red in the latest specimens. The outline of the body is bold, with short corners, and, in a typical example, the waist widens rapidly to the lower corner. The arching of the violins is very gradual, rising to about half an inch in the centre of the plates. There are, however, specimens, supposed to date from Maggini’s middleperiod, in which the build is somewhat higher, and there is a “pronounced raised border” running round the edges. The labels are undated, and placed near the centre of the instrument, instead of directly under the sound-hole. The tone of his best violins is superb, but a little deficient in brilliancy in the upper register. Genuine Maggini work is scarce, but imitations of it abound. One of the cleverest imitators was Bernhard Fendt, several of whose double-basses have passed as Magginis. Violas of unquestioned authenticity do not exceed about a dozen in number. They are more arched than the fiddles and the sound-holes set somewhat high. Nearly all the existing specimens have been reduced in size. Only two or three genuine violoncellos appear to be known. Of double-basses and instruments of the violone class it is difficult to speak with certainty. A small chamber bass, erroneously assigned to da Salò, was in the possession of Mr. T. W. Bourne a few years ago, and a fine example of large size is, or was recently, in Stockholm. Much of the work of this class formerly assigned in this country to Maggini is now recognised as English, Fendt and one or two others being the authors of it. Of Maggini’s two sons, one died in infancy, and the other, Pietro, was not a violin maker. The older books mention a Pietro Santo Maggini, but his existence as a maker is nowadays discredited.
MAIRE,Nicholas.—Paris. Died 1878. A good bow-maker.
MALDONER,Johann Stephan.—Füssen; eighteenth century. Mediocre work, often worm-eaten. Used a label with an ornamental border.
MALINE.—Paris; worked to about 1850 or later. A clever bow-maker. Worked at one time forVuillaume. A violin-maker of the same name, who may have been his son, also worked in Paris.
MANDELLI,Camillo.—Late nineteenth century. Apparently dates from Cremona, with which city he was intimately acquainted. Work not known to writer.
MANN,John Alexander.—Glasgow. Died 1889. A good workman. Usually copied Stradivari. Dark yellow varnish. He was one of the best Scottish makers of the last century, and was intimate with J. B. Vuillaume. Some of his tickets are in French wording.
MANSUY, orMansue.—Paris;circa1840. Instruments seemingly scarce.
MANTEGAZZA—Milan; eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. There were three or four members of the family.Pietro Giovanniseems to have worked in partnership with two brothers. They were well-known dealers and repairers. Good work, varnish often very dark in colour. Their violas are highly spoken of. The form of their instruments resembles that of Amati.
MARCHETTI,Enrico.—Turin; late nineteenth century. Obtained a medal for his work at Antwerp in 1885.
MARCHI,Gian Antonio.—Bologna; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Golden yellow or red-brown varnish of good quality. Wood handsome. Scrolls very well cut. Appears to have made some fine violoncellos.
MARCONCINI,Aloysius.—Bologna, Ferrara;circa1760-90. Said to have been a pupil ofOmobono Stradivari. A son namedGiuseppedied in 1841. He worked in Cremona as a pupil of Storioni.
MARENGO-RINALDI,Romano.—Turin. Born 1866. Succeeded the well-known dealer, Gioffredo Rinaldi. Work is after the style of Pressenda, whose recipe for varnish he is said to possess. He has obtained medals at Turin and Paris.
MARIANI,Antonio.—Pesaro;circa1635-95. This maker has shared the fate of Cappa, his working period having been antedated by about a century in the older books on the violin. He was at work until very near the end of the seventeenth century. All sorts of double purfled instruments, some of them in no way like his, have been attributed to him. He is said to have been a pupil of Maggini, which is certainly very doubtful. The resemblance to the work of that maker is very trifling. The fiddles are generally rather large, and in most cases double purfled; but in other respects they differ materially from those of Maggini. The pattern is primitive and inelegant; the corners long; the sound-holes usually set very upright; in some the wings are absent, and the sound-hole is of the type known as “Brescian.” The waist is long and stiff looking, and quite unlike that of Maggini. The scroll a rough piece of carving. Varnish of good quality, and usually brown or yellow-brown. Wood generally of very plain appearance. A fine violin with an excellent tone, having a single line of purfling, is in the possession of the well-known artist, Philip Cathie. Another Mariani, namedFabio, is said by Valdrighi to have worked in Pesaro in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and was probably a son.
MARINO,Bernardino.—Rome; eighteenth century and early nineteenth. Roughish work of Tecchler style. Varnish red-brown.
MARQUIS DE L’AIR. SeeClaudot.
MARSHALL,John.—London; eighteenth century. Wamsley school of work. Stainer pattern. Labels usually in Latin. In some of his tickets there is a mild attempt at humour, “Good beef a penny a pound, but trades all very bad.”
MARTIN.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A pretty numerous family working chiefly in Markneukirchen, several of whom bore the Christian names “John Adam.”
MARTIN.—Paris; nineteenth century. There were several of the name. They were principally dealers and repairers.
MAST.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A Mirecourt family.Jean Laurentworked in Paris in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Instruments branded.Joseph Laurent, a neat workman, settled in Toulouse. Rather high model. Pretty wood. Yellow or red varnish. He was a skilful repairer.
MAUCOTEL.—Mirecourt, Paris, London; nineteenth century. A well-known family of good workmen.Charles, born Mirecourt, 1807, worked in Paris under Gand. Came to London in 1844, and after working for Davis established himself in Rupert Street. Retired to France in 1860. Chiefly copied Stradivari. Red varnish.Charles Adolphe, his brother, worked in Paris for Vuillaume until 1844, and then set up for himself. Made a considerable number of copies of excellent workmanship and tone.Obtained various medals, and died in 1858.Ernst Maucotel, born in Mirecourt in 1867; assisted Hippolyte Chrétien-Silvestre, with whom he became partner in 1900.
MAURIZI,Francesco.—Appignano; eighteenth century. Used sometimes a large oval ticket with ornamental border. Varnish brown.
MAUSSIELL,Leonhard.—Nuremberg. Born 1685, died after 1760. A careful maker. Usually copied Stainer. Some of the fiddles have lion-heads. Varnish yellow, or yellow-brown.
MAYR.—Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Three or four of the name worked in different parts of Germany (Salzburg, Munich, Schönbach). The best known isAndreas Ferdinand, a careful workman, who copied Stainer, and worked in Salzburg until about 1750.
MAYSON,Walter H.—Manchester. Born 1835, died 19—. Has made a great number of violins and other instruments of excellent finish, some of which are elaborately carved. He wrote a book on violin making, which was published in the “Strad Library.”
MÉDARD.—A numerous family of makers established in Nancy and Paris in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. There were upwards of a dozen of them. The best known is François, son of Claude Médard. Born at Nancy, he worked chiefly in Paris, where he flourished until about 1715, or later. The work is very pretty, and the wood frequently handsome. Light red varnish of very clear texture. Arching rather flat.
MEER,Karel van der.—Amsterdam; contemporary. A clever workman. Maker to the Conservatoire in Amsterdam.
MEIBERI,Francesco.—Leghorn; eighteenth century. One of the few makers dating from Leghorn. Work little known.
MEINEL.—Upwards of a score of makers of the name date from Klingenthal and Markneukirchen, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The work of some of them is very passable. Instruments frequently branded with maker’s initials.
MEISEL.—Another very large tribe of German makers, dating, chiefly from Klingenthal, down to very recent times.
MEISNER,Johann Friedrich.—Lübeck. Died 1770. A professional musician who made violins, specimens of which are occasionally seen in this country. Dark brown varnish.
MELEGARI,Enrico Clodovio.—Turin; nineteenth century.
MELONI,Antonio.—Milan; late seventeenth century. Pretty work. Yellow varnish.
MENNÉGAND,Charles.—Died 1885. Worked in various places, including Amsterdam, but chiefly in Paris. A very clever workman and repairer. Has left numerous instruments, a number of which are violoncellos. Usually worked on Stradivari lines.
MENNESON,Jean Emile(pseudonym “Guarini”).—Rheims. Born 1842. A clever workman, who has obtained several medals. Has produced a great number of instruments with the assistance ofworkmen, and had formerly a factory at Mirecourt. Many of his violins are copies of the “Messie” Stradivari. His sons succeeded to his business.
MERCIER, A.—Paris; nineteenth century. Mirecourt class of work. Name stamped inside instruments. Varnish yellowish red.
MÉRIOTTE,Charles.—Lyons; middle eighteenth century. Stradivari pattern.
MESSORI,Pietro.—Modena; contemporary. Manufactures various kinds of instruments, and has received several medals. Violins are said to be well made and amber varnish, but work is not known to the writer.
METHFESSEL,Gustav.—Berne. Born 1839. Worked first in Vienna.
MEYER,Magnus Andreas.—Hamburg; eighteenth century. Work said to resemble that of Tielke. Yellow varnish. Sometimes inlaid. Written labels.
MEZZADRI,Alessandro.—Ferrara;circa1720 and later. Amati style. Fairly good work. Another Mezzadri namedFrancescoworked in Milan to about 1750. Writer has seen two or three violins of fairly neat workmanship and Amati outline. Reddish varnish.
MICHELIS.—SeeZanetto.
MIGGE,Otto Koblenz.—London. Born 1857. Has written a book claiming to have discovered the secrets of the Italian masters. Violins by him seen by the writer certainly did not justify the claim.
MIREMONT,Claude Augustin.—New York,Paris. Born 1827, Mirecourt, died 1887. Has left many useful instruments, chiefly of Stradivari pattern, which are rising in value. Sides sometimes appear rather deep. He made some excellent violoncellos.
MÖCKEL.—Nineteenth century. A Berlin family established in Berlin, Dresden, and elsewhere. One of them,Otto, used a label with his portrait upon it.
MOINEL,Charles.—Paris. Born 1866. Succeeded Cherpitel.
MOITESSIER,Louis.—Mirecourt. Worked to about 1825 and made many instruments. Examples seen by writer were of mediocre workmanship.
MÖNNIG.—Markneukirchen. A family of nineteenth century makers. About half a dozen of them are mentioned.
MONTADE,Gregorio.—Cremona; to about 1730. The work is after the pattern of Stradivari, but is little known amongst connoisseurs.
MONTAGNANA,Domenico.—Venice; to about 1745 or later. A maker of very high rank, about whom very little is certainly known. He was probably born in Venice, and the stories that he worked under either Stradivari or Amati may be dismissed as being unsupported by any evidence worthy of the name. The earliest date seen by the writer in an authentic ticket is 1715, and appears in a fine violin of rather small size, photographs of which appeared in theStradmagazine in June, 1912. Whoever was his instructor, he seems to have asserted his individuality from the outset. In a few of the violins there is more than a suspicion of a leaningtowards the German form of outline; and in the treatment of the sound-holes the same thing may be observed. This is not surprising when it is remembered that the majority of the old Venetian makers exhibit traces, more or less marked, of the influence of Stainer. In his finest examples no trace of anything of the kind is discernible. He was an admirable workman with great knowledge of wood, and a fine eye for form. Much of his material is very handsome, particularly in the violoncellos, in the making of which instruments he was second to no maker, except Stradivari. A few double-basses are known. Violas are very rarely seen, but the few recognised as genuine are admirable instruments and possess a very fine tone. His varnish has long excited the admiration of connoisseurs. It is very lustrous, and of varying shades of red, the texture being much clearer than that usually seen on work of the Venetian school. The violins are of two sizes, the larger and more valuable being a small fraction under 14 inches long, and the general dimensions corresponding pretty nearly with the larger examples of Guarneri del Gesù. In the finer examples the sound-holes are not unlike some of those of Carlo Bergonzi. The arching is of medium height as a rule, but now and then a little fuller. His fiddles are certainly very rare, but their number is not so phenomenally limited as has been asserted by some writers. Tricks have been freely played with his labels in the past. These in some examples date from the sign “Cremona”; but there are genuine tickets which contain no reference to it. The heads are always splendid pieces of carving and of bold contour. One of the handsomest of his violoncellos has long been in the possession of Mr. George Gudgeon. A woodcut of it appears in Hart’s book on the violin.
MORLET,Nicholas.—France, probably Mirecourt; nineteenth century. Large violins after the stereotyped pattern of “didier” Nicolas.
MORRISON,John.—London; nineteenth century, first half. Worked in Soho, chiefly for the trade. Instruments little known.
MOUGENOT.—Rouen;circa1760.
MOUGENOT,Georges.—Brussels. Born 1843. A well-known dealer and maker. He worked with N. F. Vuillaume, whose business in Brussels he acquired. His copies of Stradivari and Guarneri are very well made. Work usually signed in addition to printed label.
MOUGENOT-GAUCHÉ.—Contemporary. A manufacturer of violins on a considerable scale. His best grade fiddles are useful instruments and mostly after the pattern of the “Messie” Stradivari.
MUCCHI,Antonio.—Modena. Died 1883. His violins and violoncellos are fair examples of modern Italian work. Varnish generally yellow or yellow-brown.
MÜLLER.—Several German makers of this name are known. Some worked in Markneukirchen in the last century. Others in Schönbach.
NADOTTI,Joseph.—Piacenza; eighteenth century, latter half.
NANCY,Jean Théodore.—Paris; to about 1800. Chiefly known as a clever repairer.
NEMESSÁNYI,Samuel Felix.—Budapest;circa1850-75. Work little known in this country,but he was an exceptionally clever copyist of Guarneri del Gesù and used good varnish.