French Influence On Italian Violin-Making

By Matt Lammers and Andy Fein, Luthier at Fein Violins

Many years ago I (Andy) was visiting the old Jacques Francais violin shop in New York and examining an Annibale Fagnola violin with the famous restorer and violin expert Rene' Morel. He held the violin up, looked directly at the scroll and exclaimed, "Isn't it remarkable how much the Italian makers learned from the French?"

A violin by Annibale Fagnola, Turin, circa 1925

Mirecourt, France. Where the Seeds of French Bow Making Were Sown.

By Andy Fein and Angie Newgren

In the twenty-first century, violin makers (luthiers) and bow makers (archetiers) are usually two separate people with skill sets that are very rarely combined. It would seem that a luthier would be interested in making the bows that go with their instruments, but bow making is entirely its own occupation.

Violin bow attributed to Francois Jude Gaulard, Mirecourt, ca. 1845-1850

Mirecourt, France. Headwaters of French Violin Making

Written by Andy Fein, Violin Maker and Owner, Fein Violins, Ltd.

Many of France's best violin and bow makers from the 1700s to the present day share a very similar biography - Jacques (or Jean-Baptiste, Jeanne, Rene', Renee', Andre', Emile, etc.) were born in Mirecourt where they learned the trade from their father (or uncle, grandfather, brother,mother, sister, etc.). Starting at about age twelve, they worked at the bench with their family making instruments and bows... A shop owner in Paris (Vuillaume, Chanot, Caressa, Francais, etc.) heard of their talent and invited them to come to Paris. In Paris they received great acclaim for their work... Or didn't, so they slunk back to Mirecourt and toiled away in one of the production workshops there.

An H. Derazey violin, Mirecourt circa 1860

Eugene Sartory: Violin Bows of Sartorial Splendor

Mirecourt, France has been the birthplace and springboard of most of France's great violin makers and bow makers. The typical route to glory starts with birth and childhood in Mirecourt (often with a father or elder brother already working in the field), an apprenticeship that begins at a young age, and then a quantum leap to Paris, where the artiste either grabs the gold ring or slinks back to Mirecourt, to hang his head in shame.

Eugene Nicolas Sartory was no exception to this plan. Born in Mirecourt in 1871, he apprenticed with his father, a bow maker, for a short while, before heading off to Paris. He grabbed that gold ring and held on tight!

E.SARTORY A PARIS violin bow

Hill & Sons Violins. One-offs to Workshop

Written by Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins

and Stefan Aune

The Hill family of violin makers reaches deep into the history of violins. You can read our blog on the rise of the Hill firm to get a nice overview.

In the mid 1700's Joseph Hill was working at the Haymarket, in London, "at the sign of the Harp and Flute". He had a small shop at first and was probably working alone. Most of his instruments were made on a high arch model along the lines of Amati and Stainer. Joseph Hill's sons, William, Joseph, Benjamin, and Lockey all became violin makers as well. They continued with the high arched models that were popular at that time.

Lockey Hill's son, Henry Lockey, adopted the Stradivarius model and abandoned the higher arched models. For an individual maker, Henry Lockey is probably the finest maker of the Hill family and his instruments are some of the most valuable English instruments.