Bow & Bridge Violin and bow makers, as the old books printed them

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Scan 102

A dictionary of violin makers

28 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 92. See the scan on archive.org.

1arched; the varnish is dry and of a brownish-yellow colour; the tone is good, sometimes very powerful and penetrating. For his violoncellos he generally used pear-tree wood for the backs and very fine wood for the bellies; the tone was very powerful. When the well-known Lindley "Grancino" violoncello was repaired in 1844, by Andreas Engleder of Munich, the original label, in good preservation, read as follows: "Carlo Giuseppe Testore allievo di Gio. Grancino in Contrada Larga di Milano, 1690." A double-bass of his was played on by the celebrated Bottesini at concerts; it had a splendid tone. Label: "Carlo Giuseppe Testore in Contrada larga di Milano al segno dell'aquila, 1700." He had two sons, Carlo Antonio and Paolo Antonio, both violin makers.
3Testore, Giovanni, son of Carlo Antonio Testore, q.v.
5Testore, Paolo Antonio, second son of Carlo Giuseppe Testore and the last maker of this name. First worked with his brother, Carlo Antonio, but separated from him about 1710, and continued working alone till about 1760. He made a great many instruments, but did not do such good work as his father; the varnish is lighter, a yellow colour, and of inferior quality. Few of his violins are known, they are not much arched, without purfling, and follow the Guarneri pattern. He made many good lutes and guitars, the latter, especially, being some of the most beautiful known. Labels: "Paolo Antonio Testore, Milan, 17—," and "Paolo Antonio Testore figlio di Carlo Giuseppe Testore in Contrada larga di Milano al segno dell'aquila, 1759."
7Tetzner. See "Kühlewein."
9Theress. See "Charles."
11Thériot, J. B. A maker in Paris in 1783.
13Thibout, Aimé Justin, b. Feb., 1808. He worked till 1862 at Caen.
15Thibout, Albert, son of Gabriel Adolphe Thibout; b. April 27, 1839; d. Dec. 25, 1865. A maker in Paris, who succeeded his uncle, Gabriel Eugène, as "luthier de l'Opéra," and was succeeded in his turn by the Brothers Gand.
17Thibout, Gabriel Adolphe, son of Jacques Pierre Thibout; b. 1804, at Paris; d. there, June 14, 1858. He assisted his father a long time and finally took the direction of the business in 1838. His instruments are good, though the work is not equal to his father's; the backs are generally of one piece, the varnish a red-brown colour. His son Albert was also a maker.
19Thibout, Gabriel Eugène, son of Jacques Pierre Thibout; b. June 11, 1825, at Paris. Succeeded his brother, Gabriel Adolphe, as "luthier de l'Opéra" in Paris. In October, 1861, left Paris and settled in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
21Thibout, Jacques Pierre, b. Sept. 16, 1777, at Caen; d. Dec. 4, 1856, at Saint-Mandé, near Paris. First worked at Caen, then, in 1796, under Koliker at Paris; was married in 1800, and in 1807 established himself at [address hidden], after 1810 moving to [address hidden]. He was a remarkable maker and his instruments are much liked; his violins soon came into notice, for by a certain treatment of the sides he gained an improvement in the pattern which produced an excellent quality of tone. The price varied from £10 to £14, relatively high for that period, but greatly below their present value. The workmanship and varnish were so beautiful that his instruments will bear comparison with the best Italian work; two magnificent violins of his show peculiar richness of colouring in the varnish—a red on an amber ground. He was awarded a silver medal, 1827; a silver medal, 1844; and a first class medal at the Paris Exhibition in 1855 for an excellent violoncello. Label: "Nouveau procédé approuvé par l'Institut. Thibout, luthier du roi, rue Rameau, no. 8, à Paris, 1825."
23Thibouville-Lamy, Jérôme. A little before 1867 he became sole proprietor of the various factories at Mirecourt; he gradually substituted mechanical for manual labour, and while increasing the number of instruments made, at the same time reduced their price, so that at last he was able to exhibit at Vienna, in 1873, his famous violins at 4s., 8s., and 16s. each. By 1887, 35,000 instruments had been made by his firm. He was awarded a medal, Vienna, 1873; medal of honour, Santiago, 1875; prize medal, Philadelphia, 1876; and gold medal, London, 1885. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, April 10, 1877, and Officier, Jan. 15, 1892.
25Thiphanon. See "Tiphanon."
27Thir, Mathias and Anton. Makers of good instruments in Vienna in the 18th century.

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