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

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Scan 37

A dictionary of violin makers

28 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 27. See the scan on archive.org.

1Eulry-Clément. A maker in Mirecourt at the beginning of the 19th century. A mandoline of his is known, with eight strings arranged in four pairs; it has the back inlaid with different woods.
3Eury. A violin bow maker in Paris about 1810-30. He was working at [address hidden] in 1820. His bows are justly celebrated, and are thought to rival even those of François Tourte. He generally marked them with his name.
5Evangelisti. A maker in Florence in the 18th century. Violins of his are known.
7Evans, Richard. A maker in London about 1742-50. Was rather illiterate, judging by a label in an instrument reconstructed by him: "Maid in the Paris of Anirhengel by Richard Evans, instrument maker, in the year 1742."
9Eve, Jacques Charles. A maker in Paris about 1770-90. His violins look as if they were made on a German model, very arched, with small sound, holes, and red-brown varnish; rather heavy effect altogether, but the work is carefully done. In a violin with spirit varnish, rather transparent, was the label: "Eve, Me Luthier, rue Neuve-Ste-Catherine, au coin de celle de St-Louis proche la Place Royale 'à la Fortune.'" Another violin is dated 1770. In 1788 he was living in the rue Vieille-du-Temple.
11Fabris, Luigi. A maker in Venice in the 19th century.
13Facini, Agostino. Was a monk of the order of Saint Jean de Dieu, at Bologna, 1732-42. Several violins of his are known, well made, on a graceful pattern, with remarkable yellow varnish.
15Falaise. A French maker, whose work was similar to that of Pique. He followed the Amati and Stradivari patterns, using thin yellow varnish.
17Falco, P. Worked in Cremona about 1746-52.
19Farinato, Paolo. Worked in Venice about 1700-30. His instruments are not without merit, the pattern is elegant, of the school of Santo Serafino, and the varnish a yellow-red colour.
21Faron, Achille. Only known by a MS. label, stating that he was working in Ratisbon in 1701.
23Feldlen, Magnus. Working in Vienna in 1556. In a viola di bordone in the Collection of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna, is the label: "Magnus Feldlen, Wien, 1556."
25Fendt, Bernhard, a nephew of François Fent, of Paris; b. 1755-6, at Innsbruck, in the Tyrol; d. 1832-3, in [address hidden], Clerkenwell, aged 57, and was buried in Clerkenwell Churchyard. When seven years old he left Innsbruck for Paris, to live with his uncle there; later he went to England, and entered the employ of Thomas Dodd in Jan., 1798, remaining with him for eleven years. He persuaded J. F. Lott (also a German) to leave his trade of cabinet-making in order to make violins with him under Dodd; their instruments always have Dodd's label in them, the latter invariably doing the varnishing himself. Fendt, on leaving Dodd, worked for John Betts, making those excellent copies of Amati which are so highly valued; they all bear the name of Betts. Betts died in 1823, but Fendt continued to work for the same firm. He had four sons, also violin makers.
27Fendt, Bernhard Simon, or Simon; eldest son of Bernhard, b. 1800 in London; d. March 6, 1852, at 7, [address hidden], Brompton. He learnt his trade from his father in the workshop of John Betts, where he remained till Betts' death (1823); then he became either a workman for or a partner with Farn, a dealer in violins in [address hidden]. Farn dying, he joined George Purdy, "Purdy and Fendt" commencing business in Finch Lane in September, 1832; in June, 1843, they also opened a shop in [address hidden], Haymarket; about 1850 these two shops were closed and they moved to 74, [address hidden], Soho. He made many very good double-basses on the model of Gasparo da Salò, using varnish much superior to that on his violins; he made an extraordinary number of violins, those on the model of Guarneri alone numbering some hundreds; but the work is not very carefully finished, the varnish is bright red colour. He made an excellent quartet of instruments for the London Exhibition in 1851.

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